From The Ashes
by BJ Louis
Summary: Life was normal if boring...until a boy woke up in Midgar...
1. Chapter 1

From The Ashes 

* * *

Chapter 1 

* * *

The city of Midgar had once been a thriving metropolis. It had been home to Shinra, the biggest company in the world. It held more people than any other city on the planet. 

Now, it was the largest graveyard on the planet. The city had been decimated by Meteor, leaving it a ghost town. Of the seven plates that had once hung over the city, only two had survived. Even those two plates had been bare of life. The skyscrapers that had once made Midgar proud were nothing but rubble and dust. The Mako reactors that had once powered Midgar were now powerless. Not even birds flew near the city. Indeed, the city was devoid of any meaningful life. 

Only one area had any power or life left. A small laboratory underneath the surface of even lower-Midgar. It's depth and structure had acted like a bomb-shelter from Meteor. It had it's own generators as well, so the lack of Mako Reactors had not effected it's work. Indeed, three computers were working still, even though their creators had long since been to the lab. The computers were all wired to a teenage boy, who lay sleeping on the table. He had been sleeping there for two years. 

* * *

The city of Kalm was usually a bright and cheerful place. The small town had experienced growth due to the loss of Midgar and Shinra. Still, it had kept it's small time feel. Children played in the streets without fear. Neighbors knew each other's name. It was the perfect little town. 

Today, it was not so bright and cheerful. The rain beat down on the streets, causing small puddles to form in ruts. Only a few people dared go out in the storm. Slowly, a visitor walked into the city. No one really noticed him. He slowly walked towards the bar, looking around. Finally, he walked into the bar and shook his hair a bit, sending water off. Everyone in the bar slowly glanced back at him. He nodded and waved slowly. They politely returned the stranger's wave and went back to drinking. The bartender walked out from the back, carrying a tray with drinks on it 

"Ok guys, got your drinks..." she said, looking towards the door to see who had come in. Her eyes widened as she dropped the tray. The glasses shattered all over the ground as the beer formed a puddle on the ground. 

"Hey Tifa..." Cloud slowly said. 

* * *

The computers in the laboratory kept working. Then, two of the computers turned off and the other one stopped running its programs and went back to it's start screen. Slowly, the boy on the table opened his eyes. He blinked once, then sat up and looked around. 

"Hello" the computer sounded through it's speakers. The boy looked over at it. Slowly, he pushed off the table and walked over to the computer. He leaned down and looked at the screen. He then began to read the screen. After a moment or two, he sat down on a chair. After he finished reading what was on the screen, he reached over and grabbed the mouse and began to look around the computer for information. 

* * *

Cloud sat at the small table. His eyes wandered around the room, looking at the small items throughout the room. But for the most part, it was bare. He looked down at the magazine he had attempted to read, but he was not able to focus enough to read it clearly. He tapped his feet on the ground, his eyes stopping when he heard the door rattling. Quickly, his eyes locked onto the door. It opened as Tifa stepped in, carrying a bag of groceries. Cloud quickly stood up and walked over, taking them for her. 

"Here, I got that" he said, rumbling the bag around, trying to get a steady grip. Tifa smiled at him. 

"Thanks Cloud. Can you put it on the kitchen top?" she asked as she shook her head, water flying everywhere. Cloud carried the bag in and set it down on the counter-top. She followed him in and pulled out some fruits from the top. 

"Sorry I was gone so long. As soon as I got off work, I remembered I was low on food. And with you here, I figured I'd better pick some extra up" she said softly as she began to put food away. Cloud shrugged a bit. 

"Tifa, you didn't have to do that" he said quickly. He felt a tinge of a blush on his face. He was hoping she would not notice. She quickly looked at him, the smile still on her face. 

"So what do you want for dinner? I bought some steaks. I got some chicken. I can make soup. You name it, I'll make it" she said, still putting food away. Cloud scratched his head. 

"Gosh, Tifa, I dunno. Make whatever you want" he said, watching her put stuff away. Gingerly, she tossed an apple at him. It caught him off ground and smacked his cheek. He snatched it in mid-air and looked at her. 

"Hey, watch it!" he said as she giggled at him. 

"Not my fault you got slow!" she said, still laughing. Cloud took a bite from the apple as Tifa pulled out the carrots and some potatoes. 

"Whatcha making?" Cloud said through a mouthful of apple. Tifa gave him a quick glare. 

"Chew before you speak! That's gross! And I'm gonna make a stew" she said as she pulled out a big pot and filled it with hot water. Cloud swallowed down the apple. 

"That sounds good" he remarked before he took another bite of apple. Tifa looked over at him as she stopped the water. She opened a drawer and pulled out a knife. She then began to chop up carrots. 

"So how was your trip?" she asked softly. She looked over at him sharply, and saw him swallow again. 

"Oh...it went well, I suppose" Cloud said, taking another bite of the apple. Tifa slowly looked down when she realized the carrot had been totally cut. She quickly pushed the pieces into the pot as she began to another carrot. 

"I mean...you at peace now, completely?" she asked timidly. She glanced back over at him. Cloud swallowed hard now. He took another bite and slowly chewed on it, his mind working hard. Slowly, he swallowed again. 

"Well, I don't think anyone is ever completely at peace...but...yeah, I came to terms" he said slowly. He took another bite of the apple, chewing harder now. Tifa glanced down and pushed the carrot pieces into the pot. She moved another carrot over and began to cut it as well. 

"So...I mean Cloud, I'm not saying we don't miss her...but she can't come back..." Tifa said slowly, still chopping carrots. Cloud nodded just a tad as he kept chewing the apple. He swallowed hard again. 

"I know Tifa. It was just...I let her down. I failed her..." he said softly. Tifa stopped cutting the carrot a moment and looked at him. She took a deep breath and nodded a bit. She went back to chopping the carrot. Cloud took an uncomfortable bite out of the apple and just looked at Tifa. As she finished cutting the carrot, she pushed it into the pot and looked over at Cloud, dropping the knife on the cutting surface. 

"Cloud, we all failed her in that sense...but look, we saved the world. You didn't let us down. Didn't let ME down, Cloud..." she said slowly, picking up the knife again. She sighed softly and went to cut carrots again. Suddenly, the apple core hit her shoulder. She quickly looked over at Cloud, a small smile on his face. 

"I know that silly..." he said softly, then walked over and looked in the pot. She blinked a few times, then smiled softly. 

* * *

The boy stood up and looked down at the screen. He felt a small chill go down his spine. He then turned and walked over to a small locker in the room. He instinctively picked up the lock and put in the combination, then pushed the lock off and opened the door. Inside, there was a backpack. He unzipped it at once and pulled out a denim jacket and put it on. He shrugged to make it fit better then picked up the backpack. He slung it over one shoulder as he walked back to the computer. He stared at it another moment, then walked behind it. He reached down and grabbed the power cord and yanked it from the wall. He then walked to the only door in the room and opened it, leaving the laboratory behind him. 

* * *

"He did what?" Tifa said, a touch of disbelief in her voice. She smiled as she scrubbed a bowl. 

"Yeah, he finally got around to fixing the Tiny Bronco" Cloud said. He stood beside her, trying valiantly to dry the dishes without spots. Tifa laughed a bit. 

"I thought he said after we ruined it, he would never even bother" she remarked as she scrubbed hard. Cloud just shrugged as he gave up on one bowl and moved to another. 

"I think he did it out of boredom. He's waiting for a grant to work on the rocket" Cloud responded, desperately trying to get the water drips off the plates. Tifa smoothed her hair back a moment, then went back to scrubbing. She pulled the plate out and sat it on the kitchen counter. She went to work on the last plate. 

"So how was Barret doing?" she asked, a tiny smile appearing on her face at the mere mention of his name. Cloud shrugged a bit as he finally gave up on the bowl he was working on and grabbed the fresh plate. 

"Barret was doing fine when I was there. I didn't get a chance to talk to him too much though. He was pretty busy helping clean up North Coral and all. He did say to say "Hello" Cloud stated, rubbing the plate with all his might. Tifa's tiny smile got bigger. 

"That's nice. Hey, wanna give him a call tomorrow?" Tifa said suddenly. Cloud looked over at her and nodded. 

"Sure Tifa, that's a good idea. It's been a while since we were all together. It would be nice to see him again and be able to sit down and talk" Cloud said, scrubbing the plate hard. Tifa finished her last plate and put it on the kitchen counter. She looked at Cloud and sighed. 

"You don't even know how to dry? And yes, it'll be nice. It's been too long since I saw him" she said as she picked up a cloth and began to go over the bowls Cloud had vainly tried to dry. 

"This isn't easy! And do you have off tomorrow?" he asked. Tifa nodded a bit. 

"Sure, they'll let me take off. I haven't taken much time off. They've been pushing me too" she said quickly, as she quickly dried the bowls. Cloud put down the plate and sighed. 

"I give up on these" he stated. Tifa rolled her eyes as she picked up the plates. 

"I do all the cooking, all the table setting, and all the cleaning, and you can't even dry the dishes!" she said, a few giggles escaping from her. Cloud just shrugged and smirked. 

"Hey, you offered!" he said. Tifa quickly dried the last plate, then threw the wet drying rag at him. 

"Well, I was hoping for a little help!" she said as Cloud threw the rag back at her. Giggling, she dove to the ground and tried to dodge the rag. Cloud quickly grabbed the other rag and threw that at her as well, as the whole apartment was filled with laughter. 

* * *

Slowly, the manhole cover pushed upwards as rocks and rubble fell off the sides. With a push, the manhole cover went into the air and off to the side. The boy slowly crawled out from underground and looked around. All around him, he saw destroyed buildings. Large pieces of rubble filled the streets. Looking upwards, he saw a large hanging plate in the air. He squinted his eyes at it, then began to walk down the road, avoiding large pieces of fallen metal and cement on the ground. Finally, he slowed to a stop and looked at what was left of a building. He scanned it for identification, but saw none. He blinked and frowned in frustration. This was the spot. Or so he thought. He took a few steps forward but then saw what was left of a mailbox. He slowly bent and picked it up. He looked at the address, then nodded. He walked to the rubble and slowly began moving it away from the foundation, piece by piece. 

* * *

"Hello Barret" Tifa said into the phone. She twisted the phone cord around her fingers tightly. 

"Tifa! Hey" Barret responded. Tifa smiled a bit. 

"Hey...glad you didn't forget me" she said softly. 

"How could I forget you?" Barret responded. Tifa kinda shrugged and smiled some more. 

"I dunno...sorry. But anyways, how you doing? Cloud said you were doing good" she said quickly, trying to get past the uncomfortable introduction. 

"Oh, Spikey is there? Did he give you my message?" Barret asked. Tifa nodded to herself. 

"Yeah, he did. So again, how is it going?" she asked again. She felt nervous; which was odd. She had no reason to be nervous about talking to Barret. 

"Oh, I'm doing fine Tifa! God damn body is a bit sore from all the work, but otherwise, I'm doin good. How about you?" Barret asked. 

"Oh, I'm doin good. I work at the bar in Kalm, remember it? Yeah, I got a job there. But hey, Barret, you busy today?" Tifa asked. As soon as she got the words out, she gulped down hard. 

"Well, I got some work to do, but why do you ask?" Barret responded. Tifa gulped a bit more. 

"Oh, no real reason Barret...well, Cloud and me were talking and we wanted to know if you wanted to come and visit maybe" Tifa said quickly, her whole body shaking a bit. She tried calming herself down. She had no reason to think Barret would say no. 

"Oh, well, I can come on over tomorrow. It'll take me a day or so to get to Costa-Del-Sol to catch a ride over there. But ya, sure, I'd love to see you and Spikey again" Barret responded. Tifa smiled as her tense body loosened at once. She felt relieved. 

"That's great Barret. So tomorrow then?" she asked softly. 

"Yep Tifa. I'll see you then, ok?" he responded. Tifa nodded again, even though he would not see it. 

"I'll see you then Barret. Bye" she said softly. 

"Bye Tifa. Seeya soon" he said as he hung up the phone. Tifa slowly hung up the phone with a big smile on her face. She had not realized how much she had missed him until she had been talking to him. Cloud walked into the room, aware the conversation was over. 

"So, is he coming over?" Cloud asked softly. Tifa nodded happily. 

"Yep, he said he'll be here tomorrow" she said smiling. 

* * *

The door creaked open as the teen pushed it. He carefully walked into the room. He felt around for a light switch, finally finding it. Once he flicked it, the room jumped to life. Light burst into the room, bringing it back to life. A computer turned on, the soft glow of the screen adding more light. The boy walked over to the computer, glancing at it. He dropped his bag to the ground and sat down at the computer. Slowly, he began to type, the light from the screen glowing off his face. His face was filled with determination as he typed, slowly examining all the information that was present for him. His face slowly changed. The determination slowly melted away, as his eyes went wide as he blinked a few times, not knowing what to do He stopped reading and took a few deep breathes. He shook his head a bit then began to read again. The confusion disappeared as he read on. His face bent in anger as he read on a bit. He clenched his fist as he read on. Finally, he turned his head from the computer and slammed a fist into the desk, shaking the computer. 

* * *

Cloud sat on the ground outside the bar. A small bag sat to the left of him as he waited. He just sat there, looking down at his hands. He slowly moved his fingers around, trying to pin them down. He frowned in frustration as he kept going. 

"So who is winning?" Tifa asked from behind him, her arm propped up against the wall. Cloud quickly looked up at her. He blushed a tad. 

"Um...me, I guess..." he said. She just smiled down at him. Quickly, Cloud hopped up to his feet. He opened the bag and reached in. He pulled out two apples and began to juggle them into the air. Tifa looked over as they walked along. She quickly snatched one out of the air. Cloud grabbed the other one as Tifa giggled a bit. 

"Hey, don't do that!" he said. Tifa shined the apple on her shirt then took a bite out of it. 

"Oh, you mean you didn't bring one for me?" Tifa asked, sounding hurt. She frowned a bit as Cloud looked over, flustered. 

"What? No, I mean, I did but...!" he began, but Tifa's face burst into a huge grin, her lips shaking. Finally, she started laughing. 

"Oh my gosh. You are so serious Cloud" she said, still giggling a bit. When she finally stopped, she took another bite out of the apple. She twisted her head a bit, sending her hair flapping all over. Cloud just looked at her as he crossed his arms. 

"You like picking on me" he said, acting hurt. She just smirked as she looked over. 

"Oh, that's nonsense. Come on, cheer up! Barret is coming over tomorrow; you're not allowed to be miserable" Tifa said, taking another bite of her apple. Cloud just shrugged a bit as they walked along. He slowed down a bit as he looked to the left of them. Tifa came to a stop a head of him and followed his look. Their was a small garden with pink and red roses. Cloud sighed a bit, then looked back at Tifa. 

"You know...all I want to do is say goodbye...and thank you" he said, his voice catching. Tifa looked at him. She slowly put her hands on his shoulders and gently rubbed them for him. She looked at the roses herself. 

"So do I Cloud...so do I....but we can't. She's in the Lifestream now...I bet she can hear us, ya know?" Tifa said in a whisper. Her face was feeling flush. Cloud tilted his head a bit. 

"I'd like to think so...she meant a lot to us...to me..." Cloud said as he closed his eyes. Tifa gripped his shoulders gently. 

"Me too....me too..." Tifa said slowly, her own eyes closed. After a few moments, Tifa let go off one hand and gently pulled Cloud a bit. 

"And we both know she wouldn't want us standing here mopping over here" Tifa stated. She smiled softly at Cloud. Slowly, a smiled crawled onto his face. 

"You're right Tifa...you're right..." he said. They both slowly turned away from the flowers. They walked back towards Tifa's place. Cloud and Tifa both took a bite out of their apple and chewed slowly, thinking in their head. Cloud leaned his head up and swallowed down the apple. 

"Thank you Aeris" Cloud said suddenly. Tifa blinked a few times as she swallowed down her own apple. A smile covered her face as well. 

"Thank you Aeris" Tifa said as well. They turned to each other and smiled softly. Tifa gently put an arm around Cloud and leaned on him a bit as they walked down the road. 

* * *

The boy picked up his bag quickly and flung it over his shoulder. He stomped out of the room, avoiding clutter. He had searched the room and find no more information. He stomped down the hallway. He looked down at the ground as he walked, noticing the fallen bodies of scientists and other technicians. He was looking up when something caught his eye, causing him to stop. He quickly reached down and ripped a disk away from someone's dead hand. He squinted his eyes, mouthing some words that were on the disk. Shocked, the boy turned and ran back to the room. He jumped over some rubble, quickly reaching the computer. He quickly plugged the disk into the computer and pulled up the files. His eyes went wide as he read the screen. He went back and re-read the whole thing, making sure he had it right. He blinked a few times, standing up and stepping away from the computer. He quickly ran over to the wall and pulled a painting off the wall, revealing a safe. He glanced back at the computer and then looked down at the lock. He quickly unlocked the door and opened. A sneer crossed his face as he looked inside. 

* * *

The night sky was filled with bright stars. The cloud were moving in, but the moon still lit the sky up. It was such a calm and peaceful night. 

Tifa laid on her bed, looking out at the night sky. Her eyes reflected the moon's brightness, and the night air filled her lungs. She grasped the blanket tightly in her hands, looking out the window. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and her belly rumbled waiting for it. 

"Why am I so worried...Barret is my friend...I mean, he's been my friend a long time. Why am I so paranoid? He's still my friend! He didn't change or anything...come on Tifa, don't worry!" she said to herself, still looking out the window. She took a deep breathe. Soon, the overcast had cover up the moon. She sighed a bit as she heard some rain drops hitting her roof. Slowly, she stood up and walked to the window. She looked out it, watching the rain storm let loose. She leaned her elbows on the window ledge and looked out at the night sky. She sighed softly. 

"I'm just worrying about nothing...I mean...I am Barret's friend. I am Cloud's...friend. It's just been too long...gosh, it has. I'd love to see everybody again. I miss them all" she said, looking outward. The rain picked up, finally catching Tifa on the face. She smiled slightly as she stepped back and closed the window. She slowly laid back down on her bed. She pulled the covers up to her chin and looked out the window. She saw as the window went from water speckled to being like a wave, going down the window. She curled up a bit, still looking at the window. She smiled a little bit more. 

"They're my friends..." she said slowly. She yawned and stretched out, then curled back up. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, with a smile on her face. 

* * *

The skies were opening up and letting the rain drops fall to the ground below. They splattered all over the ground, forming puddles and streams all over the ground. The dirt path from Midgar to Kalm was turning to a mud path. Very few people had used the road lately. 

Slowly, the mud splashed upwards as the boy walked down the path. He clenched his backpack to him, looking forward. Streaks of rain covered his face, as he had to blink every few moments to keep the water out of his eyes. His eyes stayed focused on the path ahead however. The rain picked up, however, and even more of it began to fall. Loud cracks and booms of thunder filled the air. Streaks of lightning filled the sky, acting like lanterns in his journey. He stopped for a moment and looked upward. He blinked a few times as he stared up into the storm clouds. After a few moments, he looked forward and began walking again. He clenched the bag tighter as he walked, as a few more thunder cracks were heard in the air. His focus was still dead ahead of him. A flash of lightning filled the sky, and in the distance, he saw Kalm. A sneer curled up his lips as he stopped for a moment. As lightning flashed again, he saw the city again. He shrugged his shoulders a moment then began to walk again; his destination now in site. 

* * *

"Do you see it yet?" Tifa asked, her feet stepping in place. Cloud looked over at her and blinked a few times, then looked back upwards towards the sky. 

"Tifa, you just asked me that. No, I haven't seen it yet. When I see, you'll see it. You need to calm down a bit" Cloud said, crossing his arms. They both shifted their shoulders a bit as the cold breeze from the near by river hit him. Tifa quickly hugged herself and looked down at the muddy ground. 

"It sure did storm bad last night" Tifa said, stabbing her toe into the ground. Cloud looked down at the ground as well, then looked back up at the sky. 

"I heard it pounding on the building. It started thundering and lightning later in the night" Cloud said, his arms clenched to his chest. Tifa blinked then glanced over at him. 

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" she asked, her tone very direct. Cloud did not turn to meet her glance. 

"Well, everyone has to go to the bathroom" he responded. He kept looking upwards at the sky, awaiting the helicopter carrying Barret. Tifa gently grabbed his arm and tugged him a bit. 

"Cloud, if you're having problems..." she muttered. Cloud glanced over and smiled a tad. 

"You'll be the first to know...honestly, it was just going to the bathroom. The thunder was a bit annoying, but I got over it" he said. He tilted his head a bit and looked at her. She responded by tilting her head back as well and glancing into his eyes. 

"Is that a promise?" she asked, her voice barely making it over the wind. Cloud nodded twice. 

"Yeah, Tifa...if I am ever having problems, you'll be the first person to know" Cloud whispered back. He slowly looked back up at the sky. Tifa sighed happily and looked back up at the sky as well. The wind brushed into them again, as both tensed up to battle the cold breeze. 

"He should be here soon" Tifa said, stepping her feet in place again. Cloud nodded his agreement. Faintly, he thought he smelled something. He blinked and sniffed the air a few times, then looked at Tifa. 

"Do you smell that?" he asked calmly, sniffing the air. Tifa blinked a few times, then sniffed the air herself. She looked back over her shoulder at the town. Cloud followed her look and turned to face the city. A hill was in the way, but the wind was coming from that direction. Both of them sniffed the air once more and took a deep breathe. 

"That smells like smoke..." Cloud said. Both of them started jogging at once towards the city. They slowly trotted up the hill and looked down. The moment they reached the top of the hill, their eyes went wide. Tifa's mouth hung open. She was unable to say anything for a moment. Her breathing picked up a drastic pace. She quickly grabbed Cloud's arm and held it tightly. 

"It's a nightmare. It's a nightmare...!" she said, flinging herself to Cloud. He just looked at the town, one arm limply around her. His own eyes were wide with fear. 

"It's...it's....it's like Nibelheim" he stuttered, then pulled Tifa away a bit. Their eyes locked, and then both turned and ran down towards the burning city of Kalm. 

* * *

The boy glared downward over the counter at the person lying on the ground. He quickly jumped over the counter, his feet landing on the body. He walked to the left and looked underneath the counter. He eyed the safe; the lock un done and the door opened just a bit. He reached down and opened the safe door. He bent down and looked inside the safe. A bright blue piece of materia sat there. He slowly reached in and pulled it out. He held it up and looked at it. The blue glow stood out against the flames and smoke coming from the window that acted as its backdrop. The boy put the materia in his pocket as he hopped over the counter again and kicked open the door to the shop. Flames shot up and covered the area in its grasp. The boy stood their, the flames barely tickling him. He sneered as he walked through the flames. 

* * *

"Tifa!" Cloud screamed as he ran back into Kalm. The flames spurted upward, covering the city. His face felt flushed. He quickly turned back to the others who had fled the city. 

"Stay here..." he said, running back into the city. He saw some more people running to escape the city; their faces masked in both fear and relief. He saw flames. He looked around for Tifa. He saw flames. He saw Tifa's apartment. He saw flames. He searched for her figure in the windows, his face covered in sweat. 

"Cloud..!" he heard Tifa screamed, and turned to his left. She had just kicked down a door to a home, where soon after a family came running out. The flames were everywhere, covering everything. Tifa coughed a bit from the smoke, covering her mouth with her blackened hands. Cloud quickly ran over to her. 

"Come on Tifa, we gotta go...! It's getting to bad to stay...!" he screamed. Tifa just turned back to the area where the bar she worked it was. All she could see was smoke and flames everywhere. 

"I gotta make sure..." she said, running towards the bar, jumping over the fallen door. She raced through the flames, desperately seeking out the bar. Cloud followed her, running as fast as his legs could, trying to stop her. Finally, he reached her and grabbed her by the arm. She struggled to keep running, but Cloud held on tightly, trying to pull her back. 

"No, Tifa, stop..." he screamed at her. She turned to say something. Then, suddenly, the whole area near the bar exploded. Tifa's body was thrown into Cloud, who barely held his ground and stayed standing. He quickly covered her face with his hands and turned away from the explosion. Tifa fought to turn around and see, but Cloud held on tightly. Tifa finally pulled free and looked back at the area. 

"No! No! Not again! Not again!" Tifa screamed, pulling completely away from Cloud. The both of them watched as the whole area began to crumble downward in an wave of destruction. Dust and smoke filled the air and soon they could see nothing of what happened to the bar. Cloud and Tifa just stared at the destruction. Tifa turned slowly to Cloud. 

"Come...come on, let's go..." she said quickly. Cloud squinted a bit and did not respond. She grabbed his arm and tugged a bit, then turned to see what he was looking at. Then, to their shock, they saw someone walking towards them. 

"Hey..!" Cloud screamed, waving his hands to get the person's attention. The dust and rubble was all over the area by now, falling from the sky like little dive-bombers. 

"Hurry up, come....on...." Tifa said, then began to stutter. Cloud rubbed his eyes a bit. Through the flames came walking a teenage boy. His eyes cut into their own. He slowly walked through the flames, the sneer still on his face. Tifa and Cloud just stared, their own eyes wide in shock. The boy walked right between them without stopping. Both Cloud and Tifa turned around quickly and watched him walked through some flames; his silver hair still visible to them. 

"Who is that...that can't be...! It can't!" Tifa screamed. Cloud shook his head. 

"It's not...but..but...who...Hey! Who are you?!" Cloud screamed with anger. The boy kept walking forward, his march forward uninterrupted. 

"From the ashes of the fallen, he shall rise again. I am the Phoenix" the boy said sharply, the flames dancing around him, causing a screen of fire between them and him.. Cloud suddenly sprinted after him, causing Tifa to follow him. Cloud ducked his head down and covered it with his arms as he ran through the flames. Just as he came out of the flames near the front of Kalm, the boy sucker-punched him in the head. Cloud's eyes went wide as he stumbled. The boy grabbed him by the back and threw him into a building. Tifa came running out of the flames, her own eyes downward, covered by her head. When she looked up, she saw Cloud lying against the building, trying to pull himself up. She started to run towards him, but the boy kicked her in the ribs from the side. Tifa let out a scream as she started to fall to the ground. Before she could, the boy grabbed her by the neck and swung her into the building. She hit the door and fell inward towards the flaming building. Cloud finally got back to his feet and stared at the boy. The sneer was still on the boy's face. Cloud clenched his fists in anger. 

"Cloud...Cloud help!" Tifa screamed suddenly. Cloud turned around and faced the building. He looked back over his shoulder, but the boy was already gone. Without wasting another moment Cloud went running into the building. Tifa was lying on her side, grabbing her knee. The entire building smelled of smoke and death. 

"Hold on Tifa" Cloud screamed, running towards her. He gently helped her up, but Tifa's knee buckled and she almost fell. Cloud quickly picked her up and ran out of the building, and all the way out of Kalm. As soon as they were safe, Cloud turned around, still holding Tifa. Both of them watched as the flames engulfed and destroyed the city of Kalm. 

* * *

"We almost there?" Barret asked from the back of the helicopter. The pilot looked downward at the earth below. 

"Almost sir..." the pilot said, looking forward again. Barret reached forward for a better view. A head of them was a huge cloud. He frowned a bit. 

"I thought ya said no storms this time of the day" Barret said. The pilot reached for the radio. 

"Junon Air Control; this is Sky-Rider 2404. Request weather report over Kalm" the pilot said calmly. Barret's eyes narrowed as he looked forward. 

"That looks like smoke" he said, scratching his chin. The radio buzzed a bit; cracking with noise. 

"Sky-Rider 2404, this is Air Control. No reports of bad weather in the area. No communication with Kalm in an hour however" the controller said. The pilot nodded. 

"Air Control, thank you. Sky-Rider out" the pilot stated as he put the radio down. He slowed down as the helicopter reached the growing clouds. Barret looked to his left and saw what remained of Midgar. Anger filled his face, then he turned forward again. 

"Maybe something is on fire down there" Barret stated. The pilot nodded a bit. 

"Yes sir; most likely. I'm going to put you down a little farther out; only a 10 minute walk away. I don't want to get caught in the smoke" the pilot said. Barret nodded a bit, gripping his fist tightly. 

"That's fine..." he said, his thoughts suddenly filled with Tifa or Cloud in danger. Then he remembered it was Cloud and Tifa. The same Cloud and Tifa who had helped save the world. 

"Nonsense...those two...in trouble....ha...well...it is those two" Barret thought to himself as the helicopter began to slowly drop towards the ground. 

"Prepare for landing" the pilot said. Barret sighed and leaned back a bit. 

"Hey...can you wait a few moments...? I wanna go check on the city, make sure everything is ok...we may need to get to Junon" he said. The pilot nodded. 

"Roger that; someone may need medical attention" the pilot stated again as he landed the helicopter. Barret grabbed his bag and quickly jumped out. He waved at the pilot and ran towards the city. He saw the clouds of smoke over the hilltops. Finally, he began to descend down a hill, he saw the flaming city. He saw the groups of people outside the city. He saw the flames. He saw the smoke. He could almost see the horror on their faces. He dropped his bag and ran back towards the helicopter. 

* * *

The boy stood on a mountain top, overlooking Kalm. He looked back at the city, then down at his hand. Slowly opening it revealed the bright blue materia. He stared at the materia a few moments, then quickly grasped it and turned around. He walked over to his backpack and leaned down. He unzipped the bag and put in the blue materia. He threw the bag over his shoulder and turned to face the burning city of Kalm one more time. The sneer faded from his face a bit. It had been the same, but had it been enough? He would find out soon enough. He slowly walked down the mountain path and headed downward towards the flat greens. Once he reached the plain, he turned back once more and looked upward. He saw the smoke in the air. 

"The evil we do" he spoke softly, then began to walk towards his next destination. 

* * *

"Tifa! Cloud" Barret screamed as he ran through the horde of people standing outside the city. He bumped into just about anyone in his way, quickly racing towards the city. He knew Tifa. He knew Cloud. 

"They both are dumb enough to go run in there" he thought to himself as he ran towards the city. Then, he saw the trademark spike blond hair. He saw two legs sticking out the side of him. He ran forward, the relief unmeasurable. 

"Cloud! Tifa" he screamed, his voice filled with happiness. Cloud looked over his shoulder while Tifa peered over his other shoulder. Tifa's smoke-covered face lit up when she saw Barret. 

"Barret...!" was all she could scream. Barret reached them and opened his hands at once. Cloud slowly handed Tifa over to Barret, who grabbed her in a huge bear hug. Tifa clung to him at once. Barret slowly scooped her up with his massive arms and looked at Cloud. Cloud smiled a bit, then frowned as he turned back towards the city. Tifa just buried her head on Barret, who walked up to stand next to Cloud. 

"Cloud...what...what happened?" he asked. Cloud looked down a bit and sighed. His face was covered in black dirt; his clothes smelled of smoke. 

"We're not sure...no one really knows...but...but...it was intentional. It's an arson...and...we think we know who did it..." Cloud said slowly, the words coming slower than molasses. Tifa pulled away finally, then instantly tried to get out of Barret's embrace. Barret blinked, but then gently set her down. The moment she was free, Tifa's left foot buckled and she almost fell, but Barret quickly grabbed her and helped her stand. He looked at Tifa and squinted as his face filled with rage. 

"Who did this? Who? We'll make them pay!" he screamed. Tifa slowly looked up at him; her face filled with emotion. 

"Barret...it...it was this...this....he was Sephiroth! It was! It was like his ghost!" Tifa screamed, then again buried herself on Barret's massive chest. Barret blinked, then looked at Cloud. Cloud shook his head a bit, his face drooping. 

"No...that's impossible...but...but...it was this kid. This kid, Barret...he had that hair. That silver hair. It was short, though...and his eyes...their pierced us. They were the most...most terrible thing I've seen in a long time. He...he walked right through the flames, like Sephiroth did at Nibelheim...it was like Nibelheim..." Cloud said, his last words barely heard. He slowly looked back at the city, the flames finally dying down some. Barret looked down at Tifa, who slowly pulled away from Barret and again looked back at the city. 

"It's...it's...it's just a dream! It's got to be! No one goes through this twice...!" she screamed. Cloud looked back at her, his own face filled with sorrow. 

"Tifa...it's no dream...it's a nightmare..." he said, then slowly looked back at the city. All three, and every other person there, watched the city of Kalm die that night. 

* * *

Darkness descended on the city of Kalm. The flames had been out awhile, but the smoke and smell lingered. "Well..." Barret said, looking over at Tifa. She had bundled herself up in a blanket as the firefighters, police, and volunteers had began to put out the fire and start the clean-up duty. She had stayed outside the city, to afraid to go back in it. She turned to Barret sadly. 

"Every home I have, Barret, every home I have is taken from me...maybe I don't deserve one" she muttered, her eyes hollow. Barret shook his head. 

"That's nonsense Tifa, and you know it! Damn; I mean you had nothing to do with this. Hell, I directly destroyed my home town...both with good intentions and all, but come on Tifa...!" he said, looking at her with hard eyes. Tifa looked away from him and down at the ground. 

"You know Barret, when we meet, I had nothing to lose...I had realized what had happened at Nibelheim. Then Cloud came back, then Aeris, then this, then that. I mean...we saved the planet Barret, and now what? We barely see each other. I guess I thought I had friends..." she said. Barret stood up at once and slammed his gun-hand into his regular hand. 

"Knock that off Tifa! You have friends; friends who care about you! I care! Cloud cares! Cid, Red, that brat Yuffie, Reeve or Cait, and I bet even Vincent would be here if they knew you were in trouble! Tifa, this is a horrible thing; what has happened to Kalm. Kalm can be rebuilt. The people are going to be ok...I mean, it's not Nibelheim. The city isn't a coffin! And you know what, any of your friends would help if you asked! A lot of bad has happened to you; so has to everyone today. But never say you 'had' friends. You have, and will always have, friends! You got me?" he said. Tifa looked on him, her eyes blinking. Slowly, she nodded, a lump in her throat. 

"Yeah...yeah....sorry Barret...this was such a long day..." she said, her eyes turning away from him. Barret sighed a bit and nodded sadly. 

"I'm sorry Tifa...don't let this destroy you. I mean, how hard can some crazy kid be to find. And when we do, we'll pay him back double" Barret said sharply. Tifa nodded a bit, then looked up at the city. 

"Barret...it was just a coincidence, right? I mean, kid's got silver hair, right...? And those dark glowing eyes...right? I'm not crazy, am I?" Tifa said, gripping the blanket tightly in her hands. Barret shook his head. 

"No Tifa; you're not crazy. Cloud saw the same thing. So did a few townspeople" Barret pointed out. Tifa turned to him slowly. 

"And was it a coincidence...?" she asked slowly, her eyes seeking. Barret just shook his head. 

"Tifa; we all know Sephiroth had no family. You think they'd wait this long to show up? I think it's just someone going for the Sephiroth look. I mean, realistically, some sicko is bound to wanna look like that" Barret said, looking down at her. Tifa nodded a few times. 

"You got a point...I mean, he sucker-punched us. It's not like he was Sephiroth's son and laid waste to us. " Tifa added, a small smile on her face. Barret grinned back. 

"That's the Tifa I know" he said. Tifa turned back to face the city, her hair whipping in the air. 

"The Tifa you know is gonna teach that jerk a lesson" she added. The smile on her face grew as she saw a figure approaching them. Her smiled widened. 

"Well, hello stranger" she said. Cloud smirked a bit as he approached. As he reached her, he tossed something onto her lap. She slowly picked up the God's Hand and slipped it onto her hand. She looked up at Cloud. She blinked a bit as a single glance of light caught her eye. She looked up and saw it was being reflected off of the sword on Cloud's back. He looked down at her, then up at Barret. 

"I say we leave tomorrow morning, if your knee is up to it Tifa" Cloud spoke softly. Tifa and Barret nodded at him. 

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

Chapter 2 

* * *

The boy glanced up at the night sky. He took a deep breathe and slowly shrugged his shoulders, the bag falling off his back. It hit the ground with a loud thud. He sat down and opened the bag. He reached around inside a few seconds, then pulled out a plain folder; the letters "Operation: Phoenix" on the front. Slowly, he opened it and began to read. He had not had the chance to finish it yet; indeed his desire to achieve Goal 1 was so strong. He read a few pages, but kept skipping around. He knew all this; it was not interesting. Slowly, he paged forward and found something that intrigued him. He began to blink as he read this new information. 

"Strange...this was not on the computer..." he spoke a loud as he began to read. This new information was not all that important; yet still engaged him. He slowly read it all over a few times, making sure he understood it. 

"Amazing..." he said as he flipped over the page. This page had little writing, but had two photos. He tilted his head a bit, then smirked a bit. 

"Very interesting" he stated as he began to read again. 

* * *

"Cloud? Barret?" Tifa called out. She walked around the open plains, looking for them. The sun shined brightly, covering the earth with its warm glow. 

"Where are they" she asked a loud, looking for them. She slowly walked around. Soon, the clouds were covered up the sun, stifling out the sun light. Soon, the entire area was dark and cold. Tifa kept looking around, but the plain was endless; she looked and looked but found nothing. She just kept running everywhere, but she saw nothing. 

"Help!" she heard from behind her. She turned on her heels and looked behind her. Her eyes went wide as a cold shiver ran down her back. She took a step back and let out a small cry. 

"Oh my...!" she screamed, her hands covering her mouth. Across the field lay hundreds of people. They all moaned as they reached out for her. The once green grass was now blood red. Tifa just stood there, her body trembling. 

"No...no..." she muttered. She felt something on her leg. Quickly looking down, she saw Barret grabbing at her leg. His face was covered in blood, his clothes tattered and stained. His face was mired in pain. 

"Help...help me..." he slowly said, his eyes searching for relief. Tifa bent down and picked him up. Her eyes filled with tears as she held him. 

"Barret, no, please hang on!" she screamed, but as soon as she finished, Barret went limp in her hands. She closed her eyes tightly as began to sob. 

"Tifa...Tifa...Tifa...help me..." she heard. She gently laid down Barret down as she stood up, looking around. In the distance, she saw Cloud standing, holding his chest. Blood was covering his hand. Tifa stood up and ran towards him. She sprinted as hard as she could, her arms pumping at the sides. 

"Cloud...!" she screamed, looking at him. She felt like she would never reach him, and the harder she ran the farther away she felt. Then, she saw him fall to the ground, his arm still reaching for her. 

"No!" Tifa screamed. But as she suddenly got near him, Sephiroth appeared where Cloud had been standing. He stuck the Masumane forward, hitting Tifa right in the chest. She stopped dead in her track. She flung her arms towards Cloud. 

"Ahhhhhhhhh" she screamed as she looked down at the wound. She then looked back up, and there stood the boy, holding the sword. She closed her eyes and tried to push the sword, but when she opened them, there stood Sephiroth. He pulled her forward and slapped her in the face so hard that it pushed her off the sword and she fell to the ground. 

* * *

"Tifa" Cloud screamed, holding his hand. Tifa's eyes jolted awake as she looked up at him. She rubbed her the redness on her face, her eyes filled with tears. 

"Cloud...I...I had a nightmare..." she said slowly, sitting up. Cloud sat down and took a deep breathe. 

"I could tell...I tried waking you up...but you wouldn't...I'm sorry...sorry I slapped you...but you were crying...and I..." he began, but she quickly reached over and grabbed the hand that had slapped her. 

"No-no, it's ok...thank you Cloud...I needed that...I really did..." she stated slowly, looking at him with tender eyes. Cloud slowly reached over with his free hand and gently rubbed her face. 

"Your face is all red...I'm sorry Tifa...but you know...you still look wonderful" he said slowly. Tifa blinked a few times, a small smile covering her face. 

"Oh hush...I got smoke and dust all over my face...it's all red..." she stated slowly, looking down a bit. Cloud used his free hand and lifted her face up. 

"Your face is red because you're blushing" Cloud said, a small smile on his own face. Tifa gulped a bit and took a deep breathe, as Cloud slowly rubbed her hand. Tifa looked back up at him, her face bright. 

"Well, it's nice to hear Cloud, but I know I am not looking my best" she said slowly. Cloud laughed a bit. 

"Tifa, every time we get together you are all dirty from fighting or disaster. I'm use to it" he said, laughing. Tifa blushed deeply and punched his arm gently. Cloud slowly stood up and helped her up as well. She staggered a bit then straightened out. Cloud opened his mouth, but Tifa caught him off right away. 

"My knee is fine Cloud. It's just a bit tense..." she said slowly. He looked down at her, then saw her slowly kicking her leg around a bit. His face grew serious as he watched her. 

"You sure Tifa...? I mean..." he began, but she quickly looked at him. 

"I'm positive Cloud. It's not like I had surgery. It was just a sprain" she remarked. Taking a deep breathe, she looked up at the sky. The night sky was being replaced by the morning light. Fog mixed with smoke in the air, creating a thick smog in the air. Tifa looked around curiously. 

"Hey, where did Barret go...?" she asked. Cloud just looked at the oncoming day. 

"He went to go catch the first relief helicopter this morning. He's gonna ask if we can catch a ride to Junon" Cloud stated. Tifa looked up at the passing night. 

"And from Junon...?" she asked calmly, watching the night being devoured by the sunlight. Cloud thought a few moments, then let out a breath. 

"We're gonna call the others; see if we can get some help. We're going to find that punk and bring him in" Cloud assured her. Tifa just nodded a few times, still looking up at the night sky. 

"Good...good..." she said slowly. They held their hands together tightly as they gazed up at the night sky. 

* * *

The boy emerged from the cave slowly as he squinted, his eyes adjusting from the darkness of the cave. Soon, he adjusted to the light and looked around. He took a deep breath; the heavy humid air filling his lungs. Looking up, he saw that the sky was overcast. He looked down and began to march forward. As he walked, he felt soft droplets of rain hitting him. He stopped and glanced back up at the clouds. The clouds were dark but not as dark as storm clouds; they hung in the air like storm clouds in training. The boy just shook his head and began to march onward again. The ground was still soft from the earlier rain but not quite muddy; his boots stomped through them with ease. He had found the stream with ease and began to follow it. The air had a faint foul smell; he suspected that was because of his earlier work. Ahead of him, he thought he saw two figures. He continued to march on; the figures in full view. As he approached, he saw that their was a small boy and a large man. Both of them had fishing poles in the stream that the boy had been following. As he approached, neither the child nor the man looked up at him or even acknowledged him. 

"Dad, we only caught two fish so far" the child said as the boy neared them. The man just smiled at his son and nodded. 

"I know Eddy, but this is the first time we came to this spot. We don't know if it's hot or not" the father responded, still smiling. The boy walked past them as Eddy stood up and looked down into the stream. Just then, the child slipped on a rock and would have fallen in the stream, if the father had not grabbed him and gently sat him back down. The father smiled down at his son and messed his hair up a bit. 

"Be careful Eddy; I don't want you getting hurt" the father said in a light tone. Eddy looked up at his father and nodded. 

"Yes Dad" he responded happy as he leaned forward, trying to look into the stream. The father laughed, then caught a glance of the boy out of his eye. The boy had stopped and was not walking forward, but had not turned around. He stood there, as still as a statue. The father looked over at him. 

"Can I help you buddy?" the father asked, a bit defensive. The boy's expression did not change. He thought a moment, however, before responding. 

"Is this the way to Junon" he asked. The father let out a small sigh of relief. 

"Yeah, you're heading the right way. Just keep following the path" he said. The boy nodded and turned as he began to march on. 

* * *

The helicopter touched down at the Junon Airport. The wind gusted all around; from both the blades of the helicopter and the weather. The helicopter blades spun around slower and slower until they came to a stop. Cloud jumped out from the helicopter, then reached behind and offered a hand to Tifa. 

"Cloud, I don't need your..." she said as she took his hand grudgingly Cloud pulled her gentle out of the helicopter as she dusted herself off. Barret hopped out next as the three of them began to walk off to the side. All three felt the small droplets of moisture on them. Tifa glanced up at the sky as the other two passed by her. 

"It's going to be a long day" Tifa said under her breath. She felt the small sprinkles of water hit her face. She closed her eyes and let out a troubled breath. When she opened her eyes, she saw Barret and Cloud looking back at her. 

"Hey, Tifa, you ok?" Cloud said, a serious tone to his voice. Barret chuckled a bit. 

"Yeah; if your thirsty we can get you a drink" Barret said, laughing a bit. The seriousness melted out of Cloud's face; a huge grin replacing it. Tifa rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips a second, then walked towards them. 

"Oh my gosh, I was just thinking a moment" she said defensively as she neared them. Cloud started to laugh harder, causing both Tifa and Barret to turn to him. Cloud coughed a bit, then looked at Tifa. 

"Yeah, thinking about getting a drink!" he said, then began to laugh. He buckled over in laughter, causing Barret to laugh at him. Tifa just rolled her eyes again as she waited for them to finish laughing. Barret quickly gathered himself and looked Cloud, who slowly whipped the tears away from his eyes. Barret just looked at Tifa. 

"He's more dangerous with his jokes than a sword" Barret said, causing Tifa to giggle. Barret chuckled a bit as well. Cloud finally stopped laughing and looked at them. 

"What, did you just get my joke?" Cloud asked sincerely. Tifa and Barret exchanged look and busted into a full-blown laughing fit. Cloud just scratched his head and shrugged as they both doubled over in laughter. 

* * *

The city of Junon had profited the most from the downfall of Midgar. The city had been decimated by the Weapon attacks, which had left the city in ruins and many people slaughtered. The citizens who managed to flee Midgar needed a new home and Junon was the closest major major-city. They filled the holes of those who had died and help rebuild Junon for the better. The once-toxic Mako-Reactor had been shut down as the city used other sources of energy. The once destroyed sea and fishing economy of the city was slowly recovering; boats lined the coasts fishing. The city was now the seen as the capital of the world by most casual viewers. 

The boy stopped as he reached the city limits, looking up at the magnificent city. The pure size of the city caught the boy off guard, causing him to take a step back when he looked up. The sky around Junon was filled with helicopters; he suspected from the fire the day before. The heavy mist that was in the air covered the city like a blanket. The humidity clogged up his lungs a bit, but he let out a deep breath. He marched into the city, clenching the heavy backpack to him. He ignored the glances and curious looks he received and walked right to the elevator. He stopped in front of it and looked forward, not even acknowledging the guard on duty. The guard looked over at the boy oddly. The guard took a deep breath and maneuvered his feet around. 

"It's coming down right now" the guard said, then gulped a bit. The boy did not even glance over at the guard. The gears and wheels could be heard grinding inside as the elevator moved downward. Slowly, the huge doors opened up as a small group of three business men walked out in their stylish suits. They laughed as they walked off the elevator, but one man walked right into the boy, causing him to look down at him. 

"Watch it!" the man screamed at the boy, looking down in his eyes. The man glared a bit as the boy just stared back into his eyes. They stared at each a few moments, then the man quickly stepped out of the way and dusted himself off. He glared back as the boy slowly walked into the elevator, still looking forward. The door closed as the elevator moved upward. The man looked at his two associates and dusted himself off some more. 

"That little punk; I should turn him into the police" he stammered, still dusting his clean jacket off. 

"Don't waste your time" one of associates said as they began to walk away. 

* * *

Tifa stood in a small phone booth, looking out at the clouds. She gently tapped her left hand on the glass while the right hand was holding the phone to her ear. She kept tapping her fingers, hearing nothing but dialing. Finally, she slammed the phone down, opening the glass door and stomping out. The light drizzle of rain was still falling to the ground as she stormed over to the Cloud and Barret, who were sitting below a bus-stop out of the rain. She just stopped and crossed her hands. 

"Why did I get stuck trying to call Yuffie?" she muttered, just loud enough for them to hear her. Cloud shrugged a bit. 

"We drew straws; fair is fair" Cloud stated calmly. Tifa sighed a bit. 

"Yeah, I know...regardless, I got no answer at the numbers we had" Tifa said, tapping her foot a bit. Barret looked up at her. 

"Well, I got a hold of Cid" Barret stated. Tifa nodded a bit then looked over at Cloud. 

"I found Red" he said slowly. Tifa looked at them both, her shoulders dropping a bit. 

"Oh....so they're busy or something..." she said slowly. Cloud and Barret broke into huge grins at the same time. 

"Actually, Cid is probably just picking up Red now" Cloud stated. Tifa blinked a bit then smiled. 

"You guys are jerks..." she said, tilting her head a bit. Barret chuckled a bit. 

"They should be here in a few hours. From there, we can plot out a game-plan" Barret stated. Tifa leaned her head down as she put her hand under her chin and began to think. 

"Yeah, but what can we do? I mean, do we just wait around to see if this kid shows up? Or do we ask citizens for help...or maybe we can use the Highwind to look for him..." Tifa began, but slowed to a stop. She noticed the odd looks on Barret and Cloud's face. She pointed to herself, but their expressions didn't change. Then, she heard the loud crash of symbols. She nearly jumped out of her skin. Tifa quickly turned around to spy the giant mog and small pet cat team known as Cait Sith. She looked back at Cloud and Barret and understood their looks. She looked back at Cait Sith. 

"Well, hey Cait" she said softly. The giant mog just pounded his symbols as he turned around and began to walk. Perplexed, none of them moved. Cait stopped and looked back at them, then waved for them to follow him. Cloud stood up and shrugged as he followed Cait. Tifa and Barret glanced at Cloud, then just began to follow him as well. 

* * *

The waves crashed against the docks, spitting water upwards. Regardless of the conditions, transportation was still going strong. A few ships sat in dock; sailors diligently working on getting the ships ready to sail out. 

The boy watched all this for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders. His backpack landed on the ground with a thud, dust spurting up. The boy glanced at the ships, then turned and headed back towards the shopping district. 

* * *

"So, where you taking us Cait?" Cloud asked. The four of them were walking towards the heart of Junon. The rain was still coming down in a steady if light. A sudden wind whisked around them, sending Tifa's hair all over the place. She quickly shook her hair back into place as she walked. 

"Yeah, Cait, why the silent treatment? All you've done is bang your cymbals and marched around" Tifa asked, her eyebrows raised a bit. The giant mog still did not respond. He just walked towards the city council part of Junon and walked inside. The other three all exchanged looks, then followed him in. The room was a dark red hue, with four secretaries sitting at desks, typing. There stood Reeve, a remote control in one hand, the other hand waving at them. 

"Well, the silent treatment was because I left the microphone in my office" Reeve said, smirking at them. Barret smiled at him. 

"Damn man, why not just come out there yourself?" Barret asked. Reeve blushed a deep red. 

"Well....be honest, I didn't know if you guys would remember me or not...so I pulled out Cait here to come find you" Reeve said, his cheeks a deep red. Tifa smiled at him. 

"Oh hush, we remember you silly!" Tifa stated, feeling a tad hurt that Reeve would think that. 

"But you thought that too" she said to herself as she gently hugged herself. Cloud tilted his head a bit at Reeve. 

"How did you know we were here?" Cloud asked. Tifa broke out of her little trance. 

"Yeah, that's a good question. We didn't make it a huge deal or anything" Tifa added. Reeve smiled a bit as he turned. 

"Would you gentlemen and lady follow me, please" he said, turning and walking down a hallway. Cait followed right behind him, with the others behind him. The dark red walls made the place feel tiny. All the offices had big wooden doors, so no light was being let into the hallways except for a few overhead lights. As they reached the end of the hall, Reeve turned into the office. The others walked into the office as Reeve sat down behind a desk. His office was a stark contrast from the hallway; it had off-white walls with a big picture window overlooking the sea. Water drops covered the window, causing the light to come into the room in odd patterns. 

"Please have a seat guys; we got much to talk about" Reeve said, pointing to a few chairs. Barret grabbed one for himself and sat in the back corner of the room. Cloud grabbed two and put one down for Tifa. Tifa smiled at Cloud as she sat down. 

"Thank you Cloud...so Reeve, how did you know we were here?" she asked pleasantly. Reeve smiled as he tapped his fingers together. 

"I heard what happened at Kalm...and that a young man with spikey blond hair, a beautiful young lady, and a big giant of a man with a gun hand had helped saved numerous lives. I assumed it was you guys. And further more, when I heard you three had come to the city, I sent out Cait to find you" Reeve stated, looking around at the three of them. Barret let out a small laugh. 

"Yeah, I guess we aren't so damn hard to find" Barret said, rubbing his chin a bit. Reeve's face grew more serious. 

"Yes. I hate to ask, but do you know what happened at Kalm? I've been hearing various reports, but...well, I trust you three more" Reeve stated, looking at them very professional. Cloud thought a moment, then nodded as he began to speak. 

"Well, we know it was arson. Someone set fire to the materia shop or the weapon shop. To be honest, it was hard to tell because of how close together they are. We think we know who did it...or at least someone who knows something. It was this kid..." Cloud began. Reeve nodded and interrupted him. 

"With silver hair, is that it?" Reeve asked. Tifa nodded. 

"Yeah, that's him...we were thinking he's a Sephiroth fan...you know, how sick those fanboys can get" Tifa stated. Reeve nodded as he leaned back a bit. 

"Yeah...and the fire was to resemble...well, yeah. I'll be honest, I was having a hard time believing the story about the kid until now" Reeve told them. Cloud shrugged but nodded his agreement. 

"It's a hard thing to believe. But he did a dirty sneak attack. He's not the real Sephiroth or even a Jenova clone. We're gonna get him for this and bring him to justice" Cloud said firmly. Reeve nodded a bit. From the back, Barret coughed a bit. Everyone turned and glanced at him. 

"Well, Mr. City Safety And Rebuilding Expert, you got any information of you own?" Barret asked. Tifa and Cloud glanced back at his desk. Indeed, the title "City Safety Supervisor" was on his nameplate. Reeve's cheeks turned dark red again as he keep tapping his fingers together. 

"Hehe...I didn't want to seem like I was bragging with the title....but no. I had heard numerous stories before I talked to you guys. So I wanted my facts straight. If you'd like, I could call the chief of police and post a "Watch" for this boy. That way, if he comes through Junon, we can snag him" Reeve stated. The other three all nodded as Reeve picked up the telephone and dialed the number of the police station. 

"May I speak to Chief McCall?" Reeve asked. He glanced up at the others. 

"So what does he look like? Besides the hair" Reeve asked them. Cloud and Tifa glanced at each other. Tifa slowly nodded her head forward as Cloud leaned back a bit and scratched his head. 

"Well, he had short silver hair, almost like a bowl cut. He had on black pants and a black tanktop. And I think a grey jacket; it was hard to tell in the fire" Cloud stated. Reeve just nodded a bit as he waited to be put on line with the chief. Tifa gently nudged Cloud's arm. Cloud blinked as he looked at her. 

"What I forget?" Cloud asked, all flushed. Tifa looked at Reeves. She closed her eyes a moment, then re-opened them quickly. 

"He also had one blue eye and one green" Tifa stated calmly. The men all blinked, but Reeve just nodded as he waited to speech to the chief. 

* * *

"Now, where did that go..." the shop owner said as he leaned down behind his counter, looking for his pen. He got down on all fours and began to look for it. He stopped a moment and adjusted his small glasses, then went back to looking for his pen. Finally, he found it. As he stood up he smiled, looking down at the pen. He sat back down at the counter, but saw in a reflection in the glass. He quickly looked up and saw the boy standing there, looking at him with hard eyes. The man fell backwards out his chair. 

"Oh my...you scared me..." the man said slowly, standing up and re-adjusting his glasses. The boy just leaned forward a bit and glared at the man. 

"I want the Red Materia" he said sharply. The man blinked a few times at him. 

"What kind of red materia...I mean, I don't have much..." the old man said slowly, rubbing his chin. The boy glare hardened. 

"I want the Red Materia. Project Re-birth, Codename Phoenix" The boy said, his face hardened. The man grabbed at his heart and swallowed hard. 

"But...but...so long..." the man said as he slowly walked to the back of his room. He leaned down and removed a piece of floor panel. He reached down and pulled out a small safe. He timidly put the combination in and opened the small safe, revealing a glowing red piece of materia. It was perfectly cut to be the size of a perfect square. He held it up to the light. He stared at it. Through the materia, he saw the boy standing right next to him. The old man took a deep breathe. 

* * *

"Yeah, I got this position pretty easily" Reeve stated, a small smile on his face. Cloud smirked at him. 

"Well, you do have the most experience on the planet" Cloud stated. Then, phone chimes filled the room, causing everyone to look at the phone. Reeve slowly reached and picked up the phone. 

"Yes...yes, that's me...yes....yes....really? ...yes, thank you chief..." Reeve said, hanging up the phone. Reeve slowly looked back at them as he took a deep breath. 

"Guys...we..we got a few sightings of the boy..." Reeve said slowly. Barret stood up out of his seat. 

"What? Did someone spot him heading this way, or was he heading for..." Barret began, but Reeve cut him off. 

"He's in the city. A gentleman placed a call about a rude boy with silver hair near the elevator from the town below. A few sailors spotted a young boy with silver hair near the dock. He headed back towards the city. He's in the city" Reeve repeated himself. Tifa and Cloud now joined Barret in standing. 

"That's impossible! I mean, how'd he get here so fast?" Tifa screamed in disbelief. Cloud seriously looked at Reeve. 

"Where was he last seen?" Cloud said in a rush. Reeve thought a moment. 

"He was seen heading towards the city from the docks; means he's near the shopping district" Reeve said. Before he was finished with the sentence, they all had left the room. Reeve jumped up and quickly ran to the door. 

"Guys, they sent some officers to bring him in for questioning...guys!" Reeve screamed down the hall. 

* * *

The streets were bursting with activity; even in the poor weather, people were still out shopping. Two officers were walking around, scanning the crowd of people. 

"I don't see him anywhere...is this a prank?" one of the officers asked. The other one just shook his head. 

"I wouldn't doubt it...been so boring lately...holy! Look" he exclaimed, pointing to a doorway of a shop. The door opened as the boy walked. He slammed the door behind him, then turned and walked towards the docks. The officers ran towards him. 

"Hey, stop there kid. We wanna talk to you" one of the officers screamed as they run towards the boy. The boy, however, kept marching, his pace nor demeanor changing. Finally, the officers caught up to him. One put their hand on his shoulder. 

"Just come on kid; no trouble. We just want to talk to you" the officer said. The boy stopped, his head slowly looking back at them. The other officer grabbed his other shoulder. 

"Yeah kid...just wanna talk to you about some stuff that's happening..." he said slowly. The boy slowly turned his head all the way around to look at the other officer. His face hardened. Suddenly, the boy rolled forward and quickly sprung to his feet. The officers reached for their weapons, but in an instant the boy spun into a high kick that caught both of them in the face. The officers quickly fell to the ground, slamming into the wet surface. The boy glared at them a minute, then turned and began to march forward again. Some of the crowd had seen his attack and began to watch him walk away. 

"Stop you little bastard" Barret screamed suddenly from behind him. The boy ignored it and kept walking forward. Barret took a few more steps forward. 

"Damn you, stop!" he screamed, firing a shot into the air. Tifa and Cloud, who were following him, looked at him. 

"Barret, be careful!" Cloud screamed. Tifa looked around; now the entire crowd was looking at the situation. Tifa clenched her fists and looked at them. 

"Go, get out of here!" she screamed at the people. Most of the people did not need to be told twice and began to scurry to stores for cover. The boy had stopped moving when he heard the gun shot. Slowly, he craned his neck around and looked back at them. The boy's eyes squinted at them. Cloud and Tifa got into a fighting stance. 

"What happened at Kalm?" Cloud screamed at the boy. The boy did not move or change his expression. Tifa clenched her fists even tighter. 

"Tell us or we'll beat it out of you!" she screamed at him. The boy still did not move. 

"I burned it to the ground" he said sharply. Barret let out a murderous scream. 

"I'm going to fill you with bullet holes!" he screamed, aiming his gun-arm at the boy. The boy still did not turn around to face them. 

"I see" was all the boy said as a sneer slowly covered his face. Barret suddenly let out a barrage of bullets. The boy moved with unreal speed as he ran towards the wall. Barret's gun fire followed him. 

"Stop!" Tifa screamed as the boy neared the wall. Barret kept following him, until suddenly the boy ran up the wall, using window ledges, cracks, and anything to move up it. Barret held his fire as the boy sprung off the wall, doing a flip in mid-air, and landed on his feet, facing them. As he leaned up, a metal staff appeared in his hand as he crouched into a fighting stance with the staff behind him. Barret quickly aimed the gun at him. 

"Freeze!" Barret screamed at him, his body trembling a bit. The boy coldly stared at them. Cloud took a few deep breaths. Tifa's body trembled a bit. 

"Who are you? What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Why?" Tifa demanded. The boy did not move, but his eyes focused on her. 

"I am Phoenix. And why are you attacking me?" the boy calmly asked. Cloud took a step back. 

"Us? You're the one who burned down Kalm! What are you, some kind of sick Sephiroth fan? You think that was funny; killing people and stealing their lives?" Cloud screamed, his jaw tightening. The wind gusted as the rain covered their brows. The boy's expression did not change. 

"I will complete my mission. At any costs. Any" he said, as his eyes glanced at Barret. The eyes slowly moved to Tifa, then back to Cloud. 

"Whatever you are doing, it ends here and now" Cloud snarled at him. 

"You will not harm anyone else" Tifa hissed. 

"I'm going turn you into swiss cheese" Barret screamed. Phoenix slowly straightened his body. He quickly leaned back, then forward again. He twisted his neck around, cracking them. 

"All you have done so far is delay me and talk. If you plan to stop me, that would require action" Phoenix pointed out as he went back into his crouching position. Cloud let out a hiss as he began to run at the boy. 

"I'll show you action" he screamed as he approached. The boy just stared at him as he neared him. Cloud jumped up a bit and swung down at the boy, who blocked it the strike with his staff. Cloud landed on his feet and pushed downward, the boy pushed upward. Both of them strained hard, then suddenly the boy fell flat onto his back, mule-kicking Cloud in the chest. Cloud stumbled back a bit, bending down a bit from the attack. Suddenly, Tifa sprung over him, her fist aimed at the boy. The boy rolled backwards and sprung to his feet as Tifa landed, her fist slamming into the ground. She quickly recovered and ran at him, firing off a few rapid fire punches. To her shock, the boy blocked each one. She went to change the pace and went to kick him in the face, but the boy ducked under her, sweeping her legs with his staff. Tifa quickly scrambled to her feet as Cloud ran up and stood next to her. The boy went back to crouching. 

"I see why you..." he began, inhaling a bit harder. Barret cut him off with some gun fire into the air. 

"Watch out guys; I'm gonna tear this punk a new asshole!" he screamed. Cloud and Tifa dove off to the sides as Barret aimed the gun at the boy. Quickly, the boy put his staff in front of him as a mostly invisible barrier went up in front of him. Barret let the Missing Score fire, launching a huge score of bullets into the air. They slammed into the barrier as the boy watched. The staff disappeared into his hands as Phoenix put his hands up to his forehead. Barret kept firing at the barrier. 

"Just you wait, punk, until that thing falls!" Barret screamed. The boy just looked at him. Slowly, a small silver glow came from his hands. Tifa noticed the glow. She quickly turned back to Barret, her eyes wide. 

"Barret, stop! He's doing...!" she screamed as she was suddenly cut off by Phoenix. 

"Masenko!" he screamed loudly, thrusting his hands downward. Suddenly, a silver wave of energy flew from his hands, destroying the barrier and all the bullets that had been heading his way. Barret's eyes went wide as the blast slammed into his chest, sending him flying through the air. Barret finally hit the ground, skidding along it, finally stopping as he hit a wall. 

"No!" Tifa screamed as she looked back. She quickly turned back and looked at the boy. She clenched her fists even harder. Cloud just stared at the boy, his eyes wide. 

"What in the..." Cloud muttered. 

"Any cost" Phoenix muttered as he put his hands down. Tifa ran at him from the side, leaping at him with a kick. The boy turned and pushed her down into the ground, then back-flipped away from her. Tifa scrambled to her feet and looked at him. 

"What did you do to him!" Tifa screamed. Tifa went to run, but Cloud grabbed her shoulder. 

"Tifa, go check on Barret..." Cloud said tensely. Tifa looked back at him. 

"Cloud, I'm going to...." she began, but Cloud snapped his neck and stared her in the eyes. 

"Go check on Barret, now!" Cloud snapped, pushing her behind him. Tifa just stared at the boy, then up at Cloud. 

"Don't finish him off without me..." Tifa said as she turn and ran back towards Barret. Cloud watched her run a few moments, then turned back to the boy. Phoenix was just crouching, staring at Cloud. 

"Let the battle be joined" Phoenix said. 

* * *

Tifa ran as fast as she could towards, slipping a few times as she ran over the wet surface. 

"Barret!" she screamed when she saw him. He laid against the wall, his arm holding his chest as he gasped for air. 

"Tifa..." he slowly said as his eyes flickered open a moment, then closed again. Tifa took his hand and held it a moment, then looked at his chest. His shirt had been burnt away, while his chest had a red hue to it. Tifa gently rubbed his chest with her free hand, then quickly pulled it away. 

"It's still warm.." she slowly said as she gripped his hand tighter. Barret opened his mouth, but nothing came out of it. Tifa gently rubbed his hand within hers. 

"I'm gonna get help Barret..." she said, slowly letting his hand go, placing it down on his chest as she stood up. She took a deep breath, then turned and ran. 

* * *

The sword swung downward, slamming into the staff. Cloud forced downward, but Phoenix dropped to the ground. Cloud jumped to the side as the boy went to mule-kick him again, swinging downward at him. Phoenix rolled to his knees and swung the staff, hitting Cloud in the knee. Cloud's knee buckled, but he quickly jumped up and aimed the sword downward. The boy quickly rolled to his feet and out of the way, then returned to his crouching position. 

"Too slow" the boy stated as Cloud rushed at him. Cloud swung at him hard with the sword. The boy jumped back as Cloud swung at him horizontally. The boy back-flipped backwards out of the way. Cloud held still in his fighting stance. 

"Hmph...why don't you fight and not run" Cloud spat at him. The boy suddenly sneered. 

"Let's go pull the black man with the gun out of the building. You can ask him why" Phoenix said as Cloud's eyes bugged out. 

"Shut up!" Cloud hissed at him as the boy's face grew more serious. The rain began to pick up, as it was coming down in a steady stream. The boy crouched down into his stance. 

"What are you waiting for" the boy asked. Cloud ran at him again, swinging at him from the side. Phoenix blocked the blow with his staff, holding it with one hand. He quickly jabbed Cloud in the face with the other hand, knocking Cloud off-guard. As Cloud took a step back, then boy ducked down and swept his feet out. Cloud tumbled back as the boy swung downward with his staff hard, but Cloud put his sword up to block it. He slapped onto the wet ground as Phoenix pushed downward. Cloud suddenly mule-kicked Phoenix, sending him backwards, landing on his back. Cloud climbed to his feet quickly while the boy kipped up to his feet and looked at him. They both just glared at each other. 

"You fell for your own move" Cloud stated, pointing his sword at the boy. Phoenix sneered. 

"Do not steal my technique" he said bluntly. The rain began to downpour, covering them both in rain water. Cloud sneered at the boy. 

"What are you waiting for" Cloud said. The staff disappeared as the boy shrugged his jacket off his shoulders. The jacket landed in a puddle. He extended his staff again then ran at Cloud. 

* * *

A group of paramedics slowly hoisted Barret up and placed him on a stretcher. They strapped him down as Tifa and Reeve looked on. 

"You gonna be ok Barret?" Reeve asked sympathetically. Tifa smiled a bit as the rain ran down her face. 

"You're gonna be fine, right Barret. Don't make us worry" Tifa said as a few tears mixed with rain that ran like streams down her face. Barret nodded at them a bit and gave them a thumbs up. 

"Go....help...Cloud..." he said as he was loaded into the ambulance. Tifa nodded as the doors to the ambulance were closed. The rain was pouring all around them. Tifa quickly turned as the ambulance began to pull away. She started sprinting down the road way. Reeve tried to follow her. 

"Hey, Tifa...wait up!" Reeve screamed, then watch her run into the storm. He stopped, huffing for air. He looked up and gasped for breathe. 

"Not much good I'll do anyways...but hey, wait a second..." he said as he pulled out his cell-phone. 

* * *

Cloud slammed into the ground hard as his eyes shut tightly. He quickly rolled over and got to his knees, pulling up his sword to block. He glanced at the boy, who did not attack further. His eyes were not even focused on Cloud. The boy's eyes were looking in a glass of a shop. Cloud jumped up at once. 

"Tifa, stay out of this!" Cloud screamed at her. Tifa slipped and fell to a knee as she halted to a stop. She quickly got back to her feet. 

"Cloud, are you nuts...! We need to stop him, and now!" Tifa screamed, her cold damp hair clinging to her. The boy turned to around to face her. 

"This is our battle" Phoenix spat at her, then turned back to Cloud. Cloud nodded once as he rushed at the boy, swinging the Ultimate Weapon hard at him from a 45 degree angle. The boy jumped up and to the left side. Cloud twirled around with a full swing, but the boy slammed his staff into Cloud's exposed ribs. Cloud left out a gasp as the boy slammed his staff into his side again. Cloud buckled and fell to one knee as the boy swung at his ribs again. Cloud quickly rolled to his left, however, and swung upward with his sword, ripping into the boy's exposed side. The shirt ripped up, and quickly red blood covered the hole. The boy took a step back and grabbed at his side. Cloud slowly stood, gently leaning off his bad side. 

"Stop this Cloud! This guy is too dangerous! Let's finish him off now, while he's hurt!" Tifa screamed. Cloud looked at Tifa. 

"This is my battle Tifa! I've got to win this one alone" Cloud said, his eyes glued on the boy. Tifa stomped her foot. 

"Stop being this way Cloud! I can help you! I don't need you to protect me at all turns! Why do you insist on doing this alone?" she screamed, her fists balled up. 

"I need to... Alone" Cloud said, his eyes focused on the boy still. Both of them ran at each other, staff meeting sword. Both pushed on their weapon, in a deadly game of mercy. Both of them planted their feet and pushed hard. Slowly, Cloud began to push the staff downward towards Phoenix. Quickly, Phoenix let the staff go, which caused Cloud to begin to fall forward. The boy jumped into the air and drop-kicked Cloud right in the back of the head. Cloud groaned as he slammed into the wet pavement. Phoenix kicked him in the ribs hard, causing Cloud to roll away in grasping in pain. Phoenix slowly bent down and grabbed his staff, looking at Cloud. He slowly watched Cloud stand up, grabbing at his ribs with one hand while the other hand held the sword weakly. Phoenix ran at him and began to duck down as he ran, pulling back the staff to swing it. Cloud quickly grabbed his sword, however, and swung downward, striking the boy in his left shoulder hard, causing him to fall to his knees, dropping his staff. Cloud reached overhead, lifting the sword up high. Phoenix quickly head-butted him in the ribs, causing Cloud to gasp and let go his sword. Phoenix pulled his right arm back to punch the ribs, but Cloud kicked his left shoulder, causing Phoenix to reach over and grab his shoulder. Cloud went for another kick, but Phoenix quickly moved to the side and slammed his damaged shoulder into Cloud's ribs, causing both of them to fall onto their backs in pain. Cloud slowly rolled over and grabbed his sword, slowly standing up. Phoenix kipped up to his feet quickly, then winced a moment. He bent down and picked up his staff. Blood dripped down the boy's side from his shoulder and the wound on his side. Cloud sneered at the boy, some blood sticking to his teeth. 

"You're bleeding" Cloud stated, then spit out some blood. The boy sneered back at him. The blood on his shoulder was quickly running down his body in the waves of the rain. 

"So are you" Phoenix responded, slowly reaching up with his right hand and feeling his shoulder. Quickly, the boy sprinted at Cloud, swinging his staff with his one good arm. Cloud blocked the blow easily, but Phoenix quickly jump-kicked his ribs, causing Cloud to stumble back. Phoenix landed on his back, groaning a bit. He kipped up to his feet as Cloud swung at him hard, catching him in the shoulder, causing Phoenix to turn away, his eyes shutting, but quickly swung his body around, slamming the staff into Cloud's ribs again. Cloud tried to block, was a second to slow, and both men fell to their knees. Cloud pushed himself up with his sword as a crutch, then shuttle-stepped to the right and swung down with all he had left at the shoulder, but Phoenix rolled to the right and jumped to his feet. Cloud quickly recovered from his attack and both of them swung at the same time, with Phoenix hitting the ribs while Cloud hit the shoulder. Neither man fell, but looked at each other, their eyes going wide, their teeth gritting. Their bodies shook as the water rushed over them. Cloud leaned back and swung with all his might, driving his sword into the shoulder blade. Phoenix took a step to the left, but his expression did not change. He slowly leaned back and swung for the fences, slamming his staff into Cloud's ribs. Cloud just looked at him, the blood dripping from his teeth. Then they both swung at the same time, knocking their weapons out of their hands and sending them off to the opposites sides. Both men landed in a heap. Tifa just stood watching, her body shaking almost uncontrollable. 

"Get up Cloud...get up!" she screamed, her breathing very rapid. Cloud slowly starting crawling towards his sword. He slowly wrapped his fingers around the handle and used it to push himself up again. As he looked forward, the boy was already standing and back in his fighting position. Then, the raining sky filled with red and blue lights. Down the road came speeding police cars. Cloud and Phoenix stared each other down, then suddenly the boy turned and ran towards the docks, kicking up water as he ran. Tifa went running after him. 

"Oh no you don't; you're not getting away..." she began as she ran past Cloud. But she felt Cloud grab her as she ran past him. 

"Come on Cloud, we can..." she began as she turned to him. Cloud was gasping for breath. He let the sword drop from his hand as he reached onto her shoulder, holding himself up. Tifa looked back at the running boy, then at Cloud. Slowly, she ducked under his arm and helped him stand, watching the boy go running. Cloud leaned on her, his eyes tightly shut, blood slowly dripping from his lips. 

"Urgh....is Barret ok..." Cloud muttered softly. Tifa looked up at Cloud a moment, her heart pounding. 

"He's going to be fine....are you?" she asked. Cloud nodded slowly, then opened his eyes and watched the last view of the boy. 

"I'll be fine....fine..." he muttered softly. The red and blue lights soon covered them in their warm glow, but their focus was still towards the dock. 

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

Chapter 3 

* * *

The Highwind gracefully soared through the air, cutting through the storm clouds with ease. It slowed as it circled the Junon Airport, gradually coming down on the landing pad. The ship landed on the wet surface with ease. A few moments passed with no activity from the ship. Then, a giant rope ladder was flung off the side, leading all the way down to the ground. The rainfall was still heavy, coming down in huge amounts. Reeve held an umbrella over his and Tifa's head, watching the ship. Tifa hugged herself as she watched the ship. 

"I wonder who'll have a harder time getting down... Red or Cid?" Tifa asked, watching two figures come down the ladder. Reeve smiled a bit. 

"Well, Red has four legs, but Cid smokes an awful lot...I'll go with Cid though. I bet's he's smoking right now" Reeve said, watching the ship in the dusk. Then, a tiny flash of light went falling down the side of the ship, which was followed up by some distant but distinct swear words. Both Tifa and Reeve laughed. 

"I think you got it right" Tifa said between laughs, looking over at the ship. Reeve looked over at her. 

"Come on; let's go meet them. That way, they won't get soaked" Reeve stated. Tifa nodded as she followed Reeve outward onto the landing pad. She kept rubbing her arms as she walked along. 

"Yeah...it's so cold out here" Tifa stated. Reeve nodded a bit, then quickly looked over. 

"Tifa, I would have let you borrow a coat or something!" he exclaimed, handing her the umbrella. Tifa grabbed it as Reeve slowly pulled his coat off. 

"Oh, Reeve, I'm fine, really..." she said as he handed her the jacket. She sighed a bit as she handed him the umbrella, then pulled the coat on. Reeve tilted his head a bit, 

"See, is that better?" he asked softly. Tifa nodded. 

"Yeah...thanks Reeve..." she said as she began to walk again, burying her hands in the coat pockets. They walked a head a bit more when they saw a small but bright light ahead of them. It went out in a few seconds. 

"You're not going to be able to keep one lit" Red XIII said as his fiery tail was now in view. Tifa and Reeve stopped as the figures of Red and Cid became clear. Cid had a lighter in one hand, a cigarette in the other. He was trying to light the cigarette, but it kept going out in the rain. Red noticed Tifa and Reeve at once, and slowly jogged over to them. Tifa smiled as she went down to one knee. Red ran up to her and nuzzled her a bit. Tifa rubbed under his chin happily. 

"Oh Red, it's been so long...how you doing?" she asked as she scratched him. Red smiled as he sat back on his hind legs and looked at Tifa. He then looked up at Reeve. 

"Oh, I'm doing well Tifa...and Reeve? Hello to you; no one told us you would be here" Red stated, the smile still on his face. Reeve nodded a bit. 

"I found them just after they talked to you guys, actually. It was a coincidence" Reeve said, moving the umbrella a bit to cover up Red as well. Cid slowly walked over, ducking under the umbrella. He stopped and silently played around with the cigarette, until finally it caught ablaze. He took a deep puff of the cigarette, then looked at Tifa and Reeve. 

"Tifa, hey! And Reeve, nice to see you" Cid said, the cigarette dangling in his mouth. Tifa rolled her eyes a bit and smirked at him. 

"Glad to see neither of you changed" Tifa said, hugging herself again. The jacket was too big; her hands did not even go out the sleeves. Both Cid and Red casually looked around. 

"Where is Cloud and Barret?" Red asked calmly, still looking around. Cid nodded as he let out a puff of smoke. 

"Yeah...Spikey and Barret afraid of the rain or something" Cid added, looking around. Tifa took a deep breath and looked down at the ground. Reeve heard her breath but did not look over. 

"They're in the hospital" Reeve stated slowly. Both Cid and Red blinked, then looked at Tifa. She took another deep breath and looked up. 

"We'll explain on the way" she said. 

* * *

The ship steamed along the waves, cutting through the sea. The waves crashed against the ship hard, knocking it back and forth a bit. The rain was still down-pouring, colliding with the sea and joining it's brothers. Crates of freight laid everywhere in the back of the boat, underneath a tarp. Phoenix sat on one of the boxes in the very back corner. He slowly ripped the torn tanktop off his body and tossed it off the ship. He looked at shoulder. He slowly scrapped off the dried blood from his shoulder, then leaned down a bit and knocked away the dried blood from his body. He slowly rotated his shoulder a bit, rubbing it as he went. He looked back over at the shoulder again, noticing no scar or wound. He took a deep breath as he opened his backpack and looked inside. Slowly, he pulled out a new black tanktop and slipped it over his hand. He reached back in and pulled out a grey jean jacket. He stood up on the box and slipped it on. He reached into his pants pocket and slowly pulled out the materia he had just gotten. He held the oddly square-shaped rock in his hand and looked it over. He rolled it over his hand, then grabbed it tightly. He bent down and placed it in the backpack safely, then pulled out his binder. He took a deep breathe as he opened it up and looked at it. 

"Two down, two to go" he muttered as he began to read. The rain kept splashing into the sea, pounding on the water like a drum. The boy just read as the ship moved along. 

* * *

"Hey" Tifa said softly as she sat beside Cloud's bed. Cloud's eyes slowly opened as they adjusted to the light. He squinted a bit as he looked over at Tifa. He rubbed his eyes slightly as her form became clear. 

"Hey Tifa...the others on there way...?" Cloud asked slowly. Tifa giggled a bit as she pointed to the back of the room. There, sitting on a chair was Cid, noisily chewing a piece of gum. Sitting next to him on the ground was Red. Cloud looked over at them and smiled a bit. 

"Hey guys..." Cloud said slowly. Cid's mouth moved around oddly, chewing the gum. 

"Damn Cloud, you're always ending up hurt and in a hospital. And you know what that means?" Cid snapped at him, spitting the gum out of his mouth and into the garbage can. Cloud blinked a few times. 

"What's that Cid?" Cloud asked, his face masked in confusion. Cid smirked a bit. 

"I can't smoke in these damn hospitals. So I'm stuck chewing gum and biting my tongue!" Cid said, sitting back down. Cloud laughed a bit, as well as the others. Red slowly stood up and walked over to the edge of the bed, looking up at Cloud. 

"How are you feeling Cloud?" Red asked. Cloud nodded a bit and took a deep breath. Tifa watched as he exhaled, but noticed nothing. She sighed a bit. Cloud reached down under his blanket and felt his stomach. 

"Well, my ribs are sore, but I'm going to be fine by tomorrow. I'm only staying overnight as a cautionary measure" Cloud stated confidently. Cid pulled out a new piece of gum and shoved it in his move. 

"That's good...sooner you get out, sooner I can smoke again" Cid said as he began to chew the gum. Tifa rolled her eyes at him then looked back at Cloud, a serious look on her face. 

"Cloud...Barret's gonna be in the hospital awhile. A few more days, at the very least" Tifa said slowly. Cloud nodded a bit. 

"Makes sense..." he said lightly. Red waved his tail around, still looking up at Cloud. 

"Cloud, how good was this boy? I mean, you're an excellent swordsman and from what Tifa told us, it was an even battle" Red asked calmly. Cloud leaned back a bit, looking up at the ceiling. 

"Well, I had a huge edge in experience. This kid, though...he was so quick. So fast. His speed was unbelievable. He wasn't what I would call a powerhouse...he was weak, physically. But that speed...it was hard to keep up with him" Cloud said, looking around the room. Red nodded his head a bit. 

"I see...Tifa mentioned the blast attack he did to Barret. He try anything like that?" Red asked curiously. Cloud shook his head. 

"No; he really never had the chance. We kept it close when we fought..." Cloud stated. Cid spit out the gum into the waste basket again. 

"Well, damn Cloud. Tifa said it's a kid and you can't beat him?" Cid said, leaning back, putting his hands behind his head. 

"I was thinking the same too...but I assure you, he was good. I think I was just rusty..." Cloud said slowly, looking upwards at the ceiling. Cid slowly looked down at the ground. Tifa opened her mouth just as a nurse walked into the room. The nurse looked at Cid, then at Red, then Tifa. 

"I'm sorry, but you all are going to have to wrap this up. Visiting hours are over" The nurse stated. Cid stood up and waved to Cloud while Red walked towards the door. 

"We'll see you in the morning Cloud" Red stated as he left. Cloud smiled a bit. 

"Ok...thanks for coming guys. Have a good night" Cloud called as Tifa stood up and walked to the door slowly. She stopped at the door way and looked back at him. 

"Goodnight Cloud..." she said slowly. Cloud waved weakly at her, the smile fading a bit. 

"Night Tifa..." he said as she slowly walked out into the aisle. Tifa walked into the hallway and saw the nurse. She quickly jogged up to the nurse and tapped her on the shoulder. 

"Excuse me...isn't family allowed to stay the night...?" Tifa asked quickly. The nurse turned around and nodded. 

"Well, sure....but Miss, you're not..." the nurse began, but Tifa's eyes pleaded with her. 

"Please..." Tifa whispered, twisting her hands together. The nurse slowly nodded as Tifa quickly turned on her heels and walked into the room. Cloud opened his eyes slightly to see Tifa walking in, a huge smile on her face. 

"What you so happy about?" Cloud asked as his own smile returned to his face. Tifa smiled as she sat back down on the chair next to his bed, curling her legs up underneath her. 

"I'm allowed to stay the night..." she said slowly, the smile covering her face. Cloud laughed a bit as he looked at her. 

"Did you threaten my nurse?" he asked. Tifa's smile faded as she gently punched his arm. Cloud just chuckled a bit as she crossed her arms and leaned back. 

"You know, for all I do for you, you're just mean to me!" Tifa said, turning her head away from him. Cloud just kept chuckling, looking at her. 

"Oh come on Tifa...don't be like that" Cloud said, as he looked at her. Tifa quickly turned towards him, her hair whipping in the air. She had a sneaky smile on her face. Cloud blinked as she softly put her hand under his blanket. She grinned at him. 

"Say Cloud...how bad do your ribs hurt?" she asked. Cloud immediately tried to roll away but Tifa at once leapt onto the bed, tickling him. Cloud burst into laughter as he struggled to get away from her. Tifa kept on top of him, tickling him. Soon, Tifa added her own laughter at Cloud's futile struggle, and together their laughter filled up the halls of the hospital. 

* * *

Suddenly, a loud fog horn ripped through the air. Phoenix jolted away, leaning up from his position in the back of the boat. He rubbed his head as the fog horn ripped again into the air. He got to his feet and walked out from under the tarp and walked to the edge of the ship. He looked outward and even through the thin fog could see that they were approaching Costa-Del-Sol. He looked at the city a moment, then turned back to his resting spot to pack his stuff up. 

* * *

"So when are we going to meet Reeve?" Cloud asked as he adjusted his shirt as they walked down the hallway. Red looked up at him as they walked along. 

"He said he'd be at his office whenever we got done here. He said he was going to do his best to get all the information possible" Red stated as he wagged his tail in the air. Cid looked around a bit. 

"I'll be glad to get out of here..." Cid began, but Tifa interrupted him. 

"So you can smoke, we know..." she said, rolling her eyes a bit. Finally, Tifa slowed down a bit and looked to her left. 

"Ok, this is Barret's room..." she said slowly, gently pushing the door open. Inside, on the bed, lay Barret. His gun-arm was strapped to the gurney, but the rest of him was mobile. He smirked when he saw them coming in, and his smirk grew even more when he spotted Cid and Red. 

"Well, look what the dog dragged in" he said softly. Cloud chuckled a bit. 

"Well, Red alone couldn't drag Cid in here. We had to help" Cloud said, which got a chuckle out of everyone. Tifa walked to the side where Barret's arm was tied down, then glanced down at it. 

"Hey Barret...what's up with your arm...?" she asked softly, her voice near a whisper. Barret turned to her and with his free hand waved a bit. 

"It's nothing Tifa. They did it so I didn't smack a nurse in my sleep with it or something. It's no big deal" he said quickly with a shrug. Cid made a face as he pulled out a stick of gum. 

"Damn Barret. That would be a site to see" Cid remarked as he threw the gum in his mouth. Barret smiled a bit more, then gasped one second. Everyone stopped for the moment and looked at Barret, but then he took a normal breathe. Tifa closed her eyes as she exhaled, then looked down at him. 

"Barret, how are you doing? Good?" She asked hopefully. Barret slowly stroked his chin with his free hand, then looked at her. 

"It hurts now and then, but for the most part it's ok. They said my skin may be a bit scarred, but otherwise I'm gonna be ok" Barret stated. Red walked to the same side of the bed as Tifa and looked up. 

"I hate to ask Barret, but what did it feel like? This all sounds so unbelievable. Was it a gun maybe?" Red asked, looking up at Barret. Barret leaned back onto the bed, his breathe coming quicker. 

"It was strange Red...one moment I was shooting at him, trying to blow him to hell...then out of no where, this grey light smashed into me. When I fully woke up, I was in here. I mean, I remember hitting the building and Tifa talking to me, but I really don't recall much more until I woke up here. But it was no gun. No gun a single person could use is that strong. It felt like...I dunno. It felt very powerful" Barret stated. Cid spit out the gum into the garbage, then leaned against the back wall. 

"This is all so bizarre...I mean, you guys keep saying he was a young teenager. Kids don't know how to do this type of stuff" Cid said. Cloud nodded a bit as he turned to Cid. 

"It is bizarre...but he's not a god or anything. And he is surely no Sephiroth or anything. He's just a kid who caught us off guard. Barret, nor me or Tifa, knew he could shot that big energy blast. Certainly we didn't expect him to be a gymnastics expert. But beyond that, he was nothing" Cloud said as he crossed his arms. Barret nodded a bit. 

"Yeah Spikey...how strong was that kid? I heard he gave you a run for your money..." Barret began, but Cloud cut him off quickly. 

"All speed and gymnastics. He has a lot of raw potential, but besides that it was nothing" Cloud said defensively, shifting his weight a bit from foot to foot. Barret just shrugged in the bed. 

"Well, what's the game plan then?" Barret asked, looking around at them. Tifa coughed a bit as Barret looked at her. 

"Well, Reeve is gathering information now. The boy attacked a materia dealer as well as two cops. We got a few witnesses to them too. Basically, we're gonna go from what Reeve finds us and see if we can see what he is up to" Tifa stated. Cid leaned off the back wall as he stretched a bit. 

"Yeah, cause this punk's actions make no damn sense" Cid said as he leaned backwards. Red nodded a bit. 

"Yes, it does seem like all he is doing is roaming" Red said. Cloud just sneered a bit. 

"And causing a lot of trouble along the way" Cloud snapped off, then quickly looked away from them. Barret and Tifa both saw him turn away and exchanged looks. 

"Well, Cloud, you were doing good alone. Together, this kid should be a snap" Tifa said encouragingly. Barret looked up at her with a huge grin on his face. 

"So when did old Tifa get here?" he asked softly, causing her to blush and smile a bit. 

* * *

"Daddy, come look!" a boy screamed as he run up the beach line. His father gently looked up from his book and smiled at the boy. 

"Yeah, Teddy?" the father asked. The boy grabbed the father's arm and pulled him to his feet. 

"Come look! Come look!" the boy screamed as he pulled his father along. The boy pulled him until they stopped in front of a sandcastle. The boy pointed to it. 

"See! I did that all by myself" the boy said, a huge smile on his face. The father smiled down at him. 

"That's really good Teddy" he said, patting the boy on the head. The boy kept smiling. 

"Thanks Daddy!" the boy said happily. Off of the beach, on the docks overlooking it, stood Phoenix. He leaned on the railing, looking out onto the beach. 

"Hey buddy, move!" a man screamed. Phoenix slowly turned his head back and looked at the man move behind the materia stand near the beach. The man slowly began to clean up his stand, then looked back at Phoenix. 

"I said move it, pal, unless you plan on buying some materia" The boy blinked at him once, then turned around and faced him. 

"You own this shop?" Phoenix asked bluntly. The man sneered at him a bit as he took a towel and cleaned the counter. 

"What, you just land in town or something pal? I mean, it's warm as hell today. Why you wearing that jacket?" the man said at him, leaning on the counter. Phoenix walked over and looked down at him. 

"Purple Materia" the boy spat at him. The man looked up at him as he picked up a toothpick and put it in his mouth. 

"What kind punky? I got lots" the man said as he began to pick at his teeth with the toothpick. The boy leaned in close as their noses almost touched. 

"Purple Materia. Project Re-birth. Codename Phoenix." Phoenix said to him in a low, menacing voice. The man's mouth hung open as he stared into the boy's eyes. The green eye seemed calm and calculating. The blue one seemed to imply menace. The man's toothpick fell out of his mouth as he took a step back and nodded a few times. 

"Purple...Purple...yeah, Purple Materia...I know where that is..." the man said, his eyes staring into the boy's eyes. 

* * *

"So, what's the news?" Cid asked he slowly lit a cigarette. They had just gotten to Reeve's office. 

"Well...I got a lot of news" Reeve said slowly. Everyone slowly leaned in closer to his desk. Cloud looked at Reeve closely. 

"You look nervous Reeve...what's going on?" Cloud asked slowly. Reeve took a deep breath. 

"Well...we don't know. That's the problem" Reeve stated. Red looked up from the ground at him curiously. 

"Whatever do you mean?" Red asked softly, looking up at Reeve curiously. 

"There is no reason to do what he's done...I mean, it's totally illogical" Reeve said, his face turning red. Tifa just shook her head. 

"Something has got to make sense. I mean, any connections between anything!" Tifa said, her voice shaking a bit. Reeve took a deep breath and wringed his wrists a bit. 

"Well, ok...we got more information, actually. But that's even worse" Reeve said tightly. Cid blinked a few times, then let out some smoke. 

"How can more information be bad Reeve? Really, if everything I've heard is true, it's just some street kid who wants to be Sephiroth" Cid spat as he took a deep breath of smoke. Reeve looked at Cid closely, then shook his head once. 

"I don't think so...we had a survivor from an attack the kid did. A materia salesman from here in Junon. We got a few quotes from him. He kept babbling about the name Phoenix, and his 'Red Materia'. We looked through his inventory...not a piece of red materia in the store" Reeve stated, leaning back in the chair. Cloud shrugged a bit. 

"Ok Reeve...but really, is that all?" Cloud asked slowly. Tifa nodded a bit as she gently pushed her chair over a bit towards Cloud. 

"Reeve, that's odd...but not Earth-shattering" Tifa pointed out. Red's tail wagged in the air as he patiently sat on the ground. 

"Is there any chance we can ask the man more questions?" Red asked calmly. Reeve just shook his head. 

"The man passed away from a heart attack a few hours ago...but he DID say one more thing of interest....Project Re-birth..." Reeve said slowly, his face draining. Cid took the cigarette out of his mouth, let a puff of smoke go into the air, then put the cigarette back in. 

"Well, in what context?" Cid asked as he took a deep hit from the cigarette. Reeve just turned away from them, looking down. He slowly turned around and tosses a soaking white jean jacket on the table. Reeve looked back at them. 

"Cloud, Tifa, you know who this belonged too" Reeve said slowly. Cloud nodded a bit. 

"Yeah...he took it off while he was fighting" Cloud stated, looking at it closely. Reeve nodded, then opened it up. He pointed to the ticket at the top of it, near the neckline. On the ticket was a very clear logo. Reeve watched as their faces all covered in questions. Then, they all turned a shade of pale, much like Reeve. 

"Shinra never sold clothing; they only made it workers. More-so, this jacket is only a year old...this is a Shinra jacket. Project Re-birth may be a Shinra operation" Reeve stated slowly, as all of them just stared at the jacket. 

* * *

The man dug deeper into the ground, casually looking around to see if anyone was coming or if that boy had left yet. Neither had happened yet. The man gently let the shovel go a bit and turned to Phoenix. 

"So, they decided to go through with it, huh?" the man asked, wiping some sweat from his brow. The boy's eyes narrowed at him. 

"Go through with what?" the boy snapped at him. The man just looked at him, then shrugged. He went back to digging. 

"Project Re-birth...guess they got desperate..." the man said as he kept digging. Before the boy could respond, he heard some noise. He quickly turned and saw a small ball rolling towards his feet. He then saw two small children running for the ball, which stopped at Phoenix's feet. The small girl and boy approached him slowly. They looked almost exactly alike, except their hair was a different color. The boy pointed at the ball. 

"Can we have our ball...?" the boy asked, his voice shaking. Phoenix glanced at them, then gently kicked the ball back to them. The boy bent down as it rolled to him and picked it up quickly. The girl clapped her hands together. 

"Thank ya mister! Come on!" she said, grabbing the boy's hand as they went running away. Phoenix blinked a few times. 

"Must be a brother and sister" he said under his breath. Suddenly, Phoenix turned and put his hand up to block. The shovel the man had been using shattered as it hit the boy's arm, sending the shovel flying into the air. Phoenix squinted his eyes a bit as the man took a step back. The man tripped when he hit the hole he had been digging, knocking him backwards onto the ground. The man's eyes went wide as he looked up and say the boy standing above him. 

"Who are you?" the man screamed as he tried to crawl away. The boy just looked at him. 

"I want the Purple Materia" Phoenix said darkly, glaring at the man. The man's face turned pale as a ghost as he frantically tried to get to his feet, his body and mind not working together. As he scurried to his feet, he tripped again as the purple materia fell from his pocket and landed on the ground in front of him. The man quickly reached for it and grabbed it with his hand. Just as he grabbed it, Phoenix stomped on his wrist. The man screamed as he let the materia go. He looked up into the boy's eyes. 

"Who...what are you?" the man said between gasps of pain. Phoenix twisted his foot quickly as the sounds of bone-breaking filled the air. 

"I am Phoenix" the boy spat down at him. 

* * *

Reeve sat at the computer, typing as fast as he could, searching through files. Tifa and Cloud stood behind him while Red sat on his hind legs looking up. Cid sat off to the side of the room, reading a magazine and smoking a cigarette. Red's tail swung through the air, his eyes glued onto the screen. 

"Reeve, are you sure you could find information on this Project Re-birth, if it's true" Red asked patiently. Reeve nodded a bit as he kept typing. 

"If it ever existed, I can find it. It's just a matter of finding the department it was in, if there were more code-names, when it was started..." Reeve trailed off as he kept typing. Tifa nodded a bit. 

"Basically, it's just going to take you awhile" Tifa asked, a small grin on her face. Reeve noticed the grin in the reflection of the computer screen and nodded. 

"Yeah...basically, this is not your standard Shinra computer. This is a secret one I...um..borrowed..." Reeve said as he kept typing. Cloud chuckled a bit as he watched, trying to keep up with the screen. 

"Reeve, just admit it that you stole it" Cloud said. Reeve's seriousness cracked as he smiled. 

"Yeah, I know. I'm just use to not...holy...!" Reeve said, stopping in mid-sentence. Cid looked over at them, spitting his smoke into the air. 

"What, you guys find something?" Cid asked, looking up from his magazine. Tifa waved her hand over. 

"Cid, you gotta look at this.." Tifa said, then quickly looked back at the screen. Cid strolled over casually. 

"What...?" he asked silently as he rounded behind the desk, looking at the screen. Reeve slowly read a loud as he read over the screen. 

"Project Re-birth...Project Location...Midgar, Sector 4...Authorization...Classified...Start Date....Unknown....End Date....nothing there..." Reeve said slowly as he read the screen. Cloud took a deep breath. 

"Ok...ok Reeve, can you get any information on this...?" Cloud asked slowly. Reeve shook his head as he typed a few moments, then stopped. 

"No...that's all the information that is on this computer..." Reeve said as he slowly took a deep breathe. Cid's cigarette hung out of his mouth, dangling in the air. 

"Reeve...how many projects are that secretive...?" Cid asked as he gently took a hit from this cigarette. Reeve shook his head a bit as he turned back to face the others. 

"The type of project that got this much protection...man, those projects are the ones that no one talked about...all of the personal who worked on them either kept their mouths shut or died" Reeve stated. Everyone stood around a moment. Slowly, Tifa looked over at Cloud. 

"So Cloud...what do we do now?" Tifa asked softly. Cloud looked around at the others as he took a deep breath. He slowly rubbed his forehead. 

"Well...ok guys. Let's be realistic. We need more information before we even worry about this Project Re-birth. I mean, realistically, there are more projects that top secret Reeve, right?" Cloud asked, looking at Reeve. Reeve nodded a few times. 

"Yeah, I man, there are a bunch of projects that Shinra never even got off the ground. But this is an eerie situation, to say the least" Reeve stated. Cloud nodded a few times. 

"Right, good point. Regardless, we need to start to plot out a plan. Tifa, how long did Barret say he had to stay in the hospital. And Reeve, is there any chance you can find more information on this Project business. It's our only lead as of right now; better follow it" Cloud stated, crossing his hands in front of himself. He glanced at Tifa, he grinned a bit. 

"Barret has two more nights in the hospital. Then he's free" Tifa stated. Cloud shifted his attention from Tifa to Reeve. Reeve shrugged a little bit. 

"Well...while I can't find any more information from here, I bet I could find something out from one of the computer databases from in Midgar. In one of the laboratories that were on or under the surface" Reeve stated. Red looked up at him and smirked. 

"Do you know the locations of any laboratories?" Red asked softly. Reeve smirked. 

"Hey, of course I do. So yeah; if I could get to one or two of those, I bet I can find out more on this Project Re-birth" Reeve said, looking back at the computer screen. Cid slowly let out a smoke ring into the air as he looked at the screen. 

"So what's the plan Cloud? We gonna go check out this project bullshit, or what?" Cid asked, watching the smoke. Cloud nodded a bit. 

"Yeah. Ok, I got our plan...alight, Red, Reeve, and myself are going to go to Midgar. We're going to try to see if any of these labs are left and see if we can find some information on them" Cloud stated, looking around. Cid rolled his eyes a bit. 

"And what are me and Tifa suppose to do? Wait around and make sure the Highwind stays clean" Cid asked, a touch of hurt in his voice. Tifa looked at Cloud intensely. Cloud shook his head. 

"No, nonsense. I want you guys to head to Wutai. No one has spoken to Yuffie yet" Cloud stated. Tifa let out a quick laugh. 

"Ok Cloud, but do we really need Yuffie? She brings a lot of headaches along with some strengths" Tifa pointed out. Cloud smirked a bit. 

"Well, we may not need Yuffie, but we will need some materia. And who has most of the materia?" Cloud asked rhetorically. Cid chuckled a few times. 

"Makes sense. So me and Tifa go get the materia while you guys check out Midgar. Then, we come back and pick you up, then head back here to get Barret. Am I on the ball?" Cid asked. Cloud nodded. 

"Right on top of it Cid. From there, we can see what we should do. By then, we'll see if this Project Re-birth is even meaningful. We'll have materia, Barret back, and maybe Yuffie" Cloud stated, nodding a bit. Tifa grinned as she stood up. 

"Sounds like a good plan to me" she stated, looking at the others. They just nodded. Cloud walked towards the door, waving. 

"Come on guys, let's mosey" he said as he walked towards the door. Cid suddenly slammed his fist on the table, causing Cloud to come to a halt. Cloud quickly turned around and looked at Cid. Cid grabbed his cigarette and threw it down to the ground and stomped on it. 

"Do not say mosey! Damn man, say something cool and hard!" Cid screamed loudly. Cloud gulped a bit, then grinned at Cid. 

"Let's move out!" Cloud screamed. 

* * *

The wind rustled softly, sending the leaves floating gently into the air. The leaves slowly descended back down to the ground. The leaves were all over the pathway, turning the path into a golden and red road. 

The boy marched up the path, the leaves sticking to the bottoms of his boots as he went. He kept blinking as he walked up the path, his eyes down on the path. He stopped as he reached the top of the mountain. He slowly glanced upward, catching a glimpse at the skyline. The settling dusk caught him off guard. The sun was slowly setting down, creating an awe-inspiring twilight. The boy looked out and saw the town of North Coral. Then, suddenly, in the distance, the sky was suddenly filled with an explosion of light and sound. Loud crashes and booms hit the air as fireworks danced in the sky. All the rides were now lit up like Christmas trees. The screams of happy thrill-riders filled the air. 

The boy looked at the sky in awe. His eyes reflected the brilliance of the dance in the air. He let out a sigh as he began to walk down the path, his eyes fixed on the sky. 

* * *

The clouds shifted in the air, moving against the blackness of space. The clouds covered up the moon, dimming the little light the moon gave off anyways. The rain may be gone, but the dark clouds had remained. An occasional boom of thunder was heard in the air, but nothing else was happening in the sky. The darkness was almost suffocating. 

Cloud looked up at the sky from the Highwind. He was leaning against the railing as he stared at the sky. The wind rushed into him, causing him to shake a little bit. 

"It's such a dreary evening" Red said from behind him. Cloud craned his neck around and smiled at him. 

"It sure is..." he said as he looked back out onto the sky. Red slowly walked over and sat back on his hind legs, looking up at the sky as well. Red's tail calmly settled on the ground. Cloud looked down at him. 

"Thanks for coming Red. Really; you and Cid are going to a be a huge help" Cloud said as he turned and looked back at the sky. Red chuckled softly. 

"It's not an inconvenience Cloud. It's my honor to help you out" Red said softly. Cloud chuckled a bit as well. 

"I know, but it's still nice to get some help.." Cloud trailed off, looking up at the darkened sky. Red looked up at him and sighed. 

"Cloud, what happened between that boy and you? I mean, what really happened" Red said sharply. Cloud just stared forward while Red looked up. Cloud just clenched his fist a bit more. 

"He was just...Red, he could have beaten me..." Cloud said, staring off into the darkness. Red silently went back to looking outward at the sky. 

"Cloud, no single one of us defeated Sephiroth. Or, for that matter, any major challenge. We did it as a team. Why would this be any different?" Red asked finally, breaking the silence. Cloud took a deep breathe as he looked outward. 

"He is a boy...a mere boy...and I could not defeat him..." Cloud muttered slowly, his eyes looking into nothingness. Red took a deep breath. 

"Cloud, Tifa is not the only one who is having flashbacks about Sephiroth..." Red said softly. Cloud quickly turned to him, his eyes narrowing. 

"I...I..I am not!...I am...I am having flashbacks...I thought I was rid of Sephiroth forever. That he couldn't hurt me, or my friends, every again. And here comes this fucking boy, with silver hair and those same damn eerie eyes...a boy who burns down a town for no real apparent reason...a boy who shot this energy off his hands and damn near killed Barret...it's like the nightmare never went away...like it only took a few weeks off!" Cloud said, quickly turning away from Red and walking the opposite way. Red quickly ran after him, cutting in front of him. 

"Now knock that off Cloud! If I did not know better, I'd say you were pouting! Pouting! So some kid is walking around, causing trouble. No matter what he is, it's not Sephiroth. He is not going to try to kill the planet. He is not going haunt your dreams! He is not going to..." Red said, but quickly cut himself off. Cloud's eyes meet Red's. 

"He is not going to what?" Cloud spat at Red, his body trembling. Red looked down, breaking eye contract. He took a deep breath, then looked back up. 

"He is not going to take Aeris away..." Red said slowly, his words hanging in the air. Cloud looked down at Red, his eyes trying to meet Red's. But Red would not make contact. 

"No, Sephiroth already took Aeris!" Cloud screamed as he clenched his fists. Suddenly, Red's eyes looked back up at him. 

"He took her from all of us, not just you!" Red responded, his teeth clenching. Cloud took a step back suddenly. He blinked a few times, then held his eyes closed. 

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry Red. I know you're just trying to help" Cloud muttered, his head falling downward, facing the ground. Red took a deep breathe and sat back on his hind legs. 

"Cloud, this whole situation is troubling. We are facing the unknown. But we know we can handle it if we stick together. No more fighting alone" Red said, his eyes reflecting the sudden moonlight which burst from the sky. Cloud slowly tilted his head upward a bit and looked down at Red. 

"I thought I could handle it...I thought I could win Red. I really did...but I was wrong" Cloud said, slowly shaking his head. Red sighed softly. 

"Well, you were wrong to think you could do it alone. But you can do it with help. Cloud, you do not need to do things alone. No one will think less of you for asking for help" Red said, his eyes glancing up at Cloud. Cloud's head stopped shaking as he eyes meet Red's. Cloud nodded once, then blinked a bit. He turned and walked back to the railing. 

"The moonlight is finally getting through" Cloud stated, looking up at the moon. Red trotted over, looking up at the moon. The moonlight quickly reflected off his eyes for the first time that night. 

"Indeed it is Cloud. Indeed it is" he stated, looking up as well as the moonlight reflected brightly off both their eyes. 

* * *

"No loathing" the guard spat. Drips of saliva smashed into his folder as Phoenix looked up at him. 

"It is no loathing if one pays for a ticket" the boy snapped back, holding up his ticket stub. The guard rubbed his chin as his face set in a scour. 

"Almost closing time" the guard spat once more, then began to walk around the area. The boy's eyes narrowed on the guard, but he slowly turned his attention to the arcade exit, which was now filling up with people. 

"I wanna play some more games" a young child said to his father as they walked out of the arcade. The father chuckled a bit as he looked over his shoulder, spying what appeared to be a giant floating bear. 

"We've played a lot tonight Will...Will, can you help Skyler with her big bear?" the father asked. The young Will turned around and gently took the giant bear from the little girl who smiled brightly when she came into view. 

"Thank you Willy!" she said, smiling brightly. Will carried the giant bear out the entrance as the father glanced over at Phoenix, whose own eyes were fixed on them. 

"It's great when brothers and sisters like each other" he said as they walked out of Phoenix's view. The boy turned forward as he placed the folder on his lap and stared at the arcade. Flashing lights filled his view while the sounds of games filled his ears. He took a deep breathe as he leaned back on the bench he was sitting on. The security guard walked down from the arcade. Phoenix squinted a bit. 

"What time is it?" Phoenix asked bluntly, not even turning to face the guard. He picked up his folder and slipped it into the back-pack. The guard looked down at his watch as he grumbled. 

"It's 11:34" the guard stated, then walked away. Phoenix nodded a few times as he stood, slinging his back-pack on. He pushed to his feet as the breeze picked up, swirling his hair around and smacking his jacket against himself. He turned around and headed for the exits, but stopped and looked back at the arcade. There were less lights now; less sounds in the air. He looked over at the guard, who was eyeing up some older kids. 

"Almost closing time" Phoenix called out. The guard slowly turned to him and nodded. 

"Yeah; few more minutes" the guard called back, then returned to his watching. Phoenix nodded a few times, then headed for the exit to the arcade area. 

* * *

"Well, it's better than I expected" Reeve said slowly, looking at where the entrance gate to Midgar once was. Red slowly walked forward ahead of him and looked around a bit. 

"I agree. Of course, this may be one of the better areas" Red pointed out. Reeve looked over at Cloud, then bent forward a bit and looked at Tifa. 

"Lucky you Tifa. You get to avoid this mess" Reeve stated. Tifa smiled a bit as she leaned forward to look at Reeve. 

"I'd rather be here than flying to Wutai. It's going to be boring there unless Yuffie acts up" Tifa said, then looked up at Cloud. Cloud blinked a few times. 

"What? What I do now?" Cloud asked, blinking his eyes. Tifa put her hands on her hips as she turned to him. Reeve tapped Cloud on the shoulder. Cloud slowly craned his neck around to look at Reeve. 

"She wants to know why she is not going into Midgar and why she is going to Wutai" Reeve helpfully pointed out. Cloud's eyes widened as he nodded a few times and looked back at Tifa. 

"Well, Tifa, Reeve gotta go. He knows a lot about computers and Shinra's systems. Red needs to go because...he's smart! He knows a lot about this stuff. And I gotta go in case we run into some monsters or trouble" Cloud stated. Tifa nodded a bit as she looked down, tapping her foot. Then she looked back up. 

"And I need to go to Wutai because...?" Tifa asked, her brown eyes narrow. Cloud blinked once. 

"Cid can't go alone; plus you get along with Yuffie...well, better than us. We need that materia and you have the best chance to get it out of her" Cloud said. Tifa rolled her eyes a bit at first, then nodded a few more times. 

"Well...alright, ok. But you guys aren't allowed to get hurt, ok? You gotta take care of yourselves" Tifa said as she slowly took a step back. Cloud shrugged his shoulders. 

"Well, we weren't planning on it" Cloud stated. Tifa looked over at Red. 

"Take care of him Red" Tifa said, causing Red and Reeve to chuckle lightly. She turned around on her feet and started to walk away. Cloud suddenly got real serious. 

"Hey...Tifa, that's not funny!" he screamed at her. Tifa stopped and looked back at him. Her eyes sparkled at him. 

"It's not funny Cloud...it's the truth" she said. Cloud's eyes went wide as Reeve and Red went into full laughter. Tifa blew a kiss out of her hand at Cloud, then slowly trotted back towards the Highwind. Cloud turned around and faced the others. Red and Reeve slowly gathered themselves. Cloud looked at them with wide eyes. 

"What's so funny?" Cloud asked a loud, looking at them. Red held back laughter as he looked at Cloud. He just shook his head as he walked towards the city. Reeve slowly followed, gently holding his stomach as he laughed. Cloud threw his arms up into the air. 

"What's so funny" Cloud repeated as he followed Red and Reeve into the city formerly known as Midgar. 

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Chapter 4 

* * *

"Dio!" a guard screamed, running into Dio's personal suite. Dio quickly let go of his weights and looked over at the guard. 

"What is it? I told you to never interrupt me! Never" Dio screamed, looking at the guard quickly. The guard closed his eyes as he gulped. 

"I...I know Dio...! But you've been robbed!" the guard said, his body shaking. Dio's eyes went wide a moment, then he crossed his arms and laughed a bit. 

"Trivial things mean nothing to me. Was my house robbed?" Dio said. The guard shook his head, causing Dio's smile to fade. 

"No-no Dio...your collection at the Gold Saucer was robbed..." the guard said. Dio's eyes went wide as his body shook with anger. 

"Impossible! My security is top notch!" Dio screamed as he stalked towards the guard. The guard gulped again. 

"Sir...whoever did this knocked out all of your guards...without a single one seeing the robber..." the guard added nervously. Dio's stopped near the guard as he clenched his fists. 

"This had better not be a joke! Wait, this had better be a joke! No one robs from Dio. No one!" Dio screamed, grabbing the guard by the shirt. The guard's eyes flung open as he looked at Dio. 

"No...no joke..." the guard said, gasping for breathe. Dio looked him directly in the eye, grabbing more of the shirt. 

"What was stolen?" Dio hissed at the guard. The guard slowly grabbed Dio's arms and lifted himself up a bit. 

"One thing...one thing..." the guard gasped. Dio smirked a bit as he put the guard back on his feet. 

"Oh...well, I guess that's not the..." Dio began as he kept looking in the guard's eyes. The guard was gasping for breathe hard, a look of terror on his face. Dio's eyes narrowed. 

"What was taken?" Dio asked harshly. The guard clenched his eyes closed a moment, then slowly opened them. 

"They...they...they took...it..." the guard muttered. Dio's eyes went wide again as the veins in his neck began to stretch. 

"You do not mean..!" Dio screamed, his arms clenched tightly. 

* * *

"We should have left last night" Tifa said as she yawned. She walked up to the front of the ship. Cid turned away and sighed a bit. 

"Tifa, it was too late last night...it's only a few hours" Cid stated, taking a long drag from his cigarette before exhaling the smoke. Tifa crossed her arms as she looked down at the ocean below. 

"Still, we wasted so much time...I mean, we could have been on our way back by now" Tifa stated as she rubbed her arms slowly. Cid looked at her and squinted a bit. 

"Tifa, it's not like there is so much more we can do. I mean, it's going to take them guys awhile to get through the city. The only thing we are gonna do when we get back is try to find them and help them search in the city if they're not done. Really Tifa, nothing was so pressing that we couldn't let the pilots and ourselves get some rest over" Cid countered as he shook the ashes of his cigarette. Tifa sighed softly as she jabbed her foot onto the metal deck. 

"I know...but still..I feel like we're wasting time...you know, like we could be doing something meaningful" Tifa huffed. Cid laughed a bit as he dropped his cigarette to the floor next to 10 other butts and stomped it out. 

"Tifa, getting the materia, as well as getting Yuffie, is pretty meaningful you know. Just cause you're not with Cloud don't mean it's a waste of time" Cid said as he slowly turned to her. Tifa quickly glanced over at him. 

"What do you mean?" Tifa said; her face turning to a tomato suddenly. Cid chuckled a bit. 

"Oh, nothing" Cid muttered as he leaned on the railing and looked out at the world. Tifa blinked a few times. 

"Hey, come on, tell me!" Tifa said as she walked over to him. Cid casually glanced over at her. 

"Oh, it's nothing Tifa. Really" Cid said as he stretched a bit and looked back out the window. Tifa's brow bent as she grabbed his arm. 

"Come on, tell me!" she said as she tugged on his arm. Cid chuckled a bit more as he held the railing with his free arm. 

"Do you even know what you want to know?" Cid asked as Tifa stopped pulling his arm a moment and blinked a few times. 

"Huh..." she said as she scratched her head a moment. Cid laughed a bit. 

"Maybe we can go ask Cloud" Cid said snidely as he slowly pulled out a cigarette. Tifa's eyes went wide as she stopped scratching her head. She quickly grabbed the cigarette from his hand. 

"Oh yeah...hey! What did you mean?" Tifa said. Cid reached out at the cigarette but Tifa yanked her arm back. Cid growled a bit. 

"Give me that!" Cid screamed as he dove for the cigarette. Tifa just stepped back as Cid slammed into the ground. Tifa looked down, a sweet but sinister look on her face. 

"The sooner you tell me what you meant, the sooner you can have this" she said as she waved the cigarette around. Cid lunged to his feet and tried to grab the precious cigarette, but Tifa just stepped back again. Cid sighed a bit as she shook his head. 

"All I meant was that just cause you're not around Cloud doesn't make it a waste of time" Cid replied, his eyes glued on the cigarette. Tifa flicked the cigarette into the air. She watched it fly into the air, then turned and looked back out at the passing ground. Cid grabbed the cigarette as it fell and quickly put it in his mouth. 

"It was just a joke Tifa" Cid remarked as he searched in his pocket for his lighter. He pulled it out and quickly set his cigarette a blaze. Tifa just sighed as she looked out as the ground went flying past them. 

"I wish it was, actually" She remarked under her breathe as Cid turned and looked back out. Cid took a deep puff from his cigarette then blew it out. 

"What was that Tifa?" he asked casually. Tifa took a deep breath and smiled. 

"I wonder how the others are doing" She said softly. Cid grinned a bit as he looked over. 

"I'm sure they're doing just fine" Cid remarked. 

* * *

"Not again" Cloud screamed as he jumped down the ground and covered his head. Behind him, a building collapsed to the ground. A huge puff of smoke went up into the air. Slowly, Cloud got to his feet as he dusted himself off. Red slowly trotted up behind him. 

"I am assuming that building was unsafe" Red stated. Cloud chuckled a bit as he turned around to face him. 

"Yeah, you could say that" Cloud said as a small grin covered his face. Red chuckled once or twice himself. 

"Well, Reeve said he was not sure if that one was still being used as a way-station or not" Red said as he sat down. Cloud shrugged his shoulders a bit. 

"Has Reeve found out anything interesting yet?" Cloud asked. Red shook his head as his tag wagged in the air. 

"No; this station was pretty useless to our cause, it would seem" Red replied. Cloud tapped his foot a bit as the dust began to settle all around the area. 

"This may end up taking longer than thought Red" Cloud said, his face bent in frustration. Red nodded and went to speak, but in the distance they heard someone calling out, followed by the sound of someone screaming about tripping and falling. Cloud and Red looked at each other. 

"Reeve" they said at the same time and walked towards the screaming. They saw Reeve running towards them, a smile on his face. 

"Hey guys..guys! Guess what, I found something!" Reeve screamed, waving a paper in the air. Cloud and Red both blinked. Red's tail began to wave rapidly in the air. 

"Good news?" Red called out as Reeve grew nearer. Reeve's smile got bigger. 

"Well, in a sense" he said as he reached them. The moment he came to a stop, he doubled-over and began to take deep breathes. Reeve's arm hung at the sides. Cloud blinked and reached down and took the paper. He blinked as he began to look it over. A puzzled look covered Cloud's face. 

"What does this mean Reeve?" Cloud asked as he turned the paper upside down. Reeve straightened himself out. His face was still covered in sweat. 

"Well, it has no information the actual Project: Re-birth...but it does tell us where to look!" Reeve said as he took a deep breathe. Red looked up at Cloud and chuckled a bit. 

"Well, maybe not all that long at all" Red said as his tail swung around in the air. Cloud shrugged his shoulders, then handed the paper back to Reeve. 

"Lead the way Reeve" Cloud stated as Reeve took a huge breathe. 

"Let me catch my breath first" he said as he doubled over again. 

* * *

"Strange" Phoenix muttered. He had never thought or noticed his appearance before. He blinked his eyes slowly as he stared at his reflection, then squinted when he saw his own eyes once again. 

"Very strange indeed" he remarked as he looked at his mismatched eyes closely for the very first time. He tilted his head a bit, but they remained the same. 

"One blue...one green..." he muttered as he heard a loud horn suddenly. He quickly looked up as he felt the plane going slowly. He stood up and walked over to a window and glanced down. All below him he saw land. And the ground seemed to be growing larger. The boy slowly looked down at his hand. He slowly lifted the massive sword into the air and stared at it. The sunlight coming through the window caught a hold of the sword and bounced off, hitting the boy in the eyes. He squinted a bit but still looked at the sword. His mismatched eyes looked up at the tip of the sword then slowly looked down, his eyes studying the sword the whole time. He finally reached the handle. He gently removed his hand and turned the sword sideways and held it up to eye level. A faint smile covered his face. 

"Masumane..." the boy muttered softly as he twisted the sword in the sun-light, the rays reflecting off the sword. 

"Passengers, this is your captain speaking. We're going to be landing shortly. Could you please buckle your safety belts and remain sitting" Phoenix heard over the intercom. He slowly walked back over to the boxes he had used as he bed and sat back down. He bent down and picked up the sheath for the sword and slide it back over. He slowly rubbed it with his hands then placed it back on the ground. He looked upwards as his eyes narrowed. 

"Soon..." Phoenix muttered, as he pushed himself up and grabbed his backpack. He shrugged his shoulders 

* * *

"Well, well, any new shipments come in?" Yuffie breathlessly asked as she leaned onto the counter at the materia store, looking down. The old lady working behind the counter smiled weakly. 

"Not today Yuffie" The old lady said softly. Yuffie stomped her foot as she looked up at the lady. She batted her eyes a few times. 

"Not a single piece...?" Yuffie pleaded with her, her eyes as big as dishes. The old lady chuckled a few times as she shook her head. 

"Not a single piece" The lady re-stated. Yuffie's shoulders dropped as she looked downward. She sighed deeply. 

"Phooey..." she said, looking up hopefully. The old lady kept smiling as she shook her head. 

"I'm serious Yuffie. Not a piece" the lady said again. Yuffie huffed as she turned around and stormed towards the exit. She stopped as she neared the door and looked back. 

"Not a piece...?" Yuffie pleaded. The lady shook her head again and chuckled once more. 

"I'm sorry Yuffie. You have a good day" The lady said. Yuffie sighed deeply. 

"You too..." she said as she left the materia shop, her head downwards, looking at the ground. The old lady laughed as she heard the door slam shut; the chimes on the door ringing softly. She shuffled over to the side and picked up a broom. She walked out behind the counter and picked up a broom. Humming softly, she began to swept the ground. Slowly she moved along, bent over the broom, sweeping the dust on the ground, moving it into a pile. The door chimes rang softly as the door opened. The old lady turned around smiling. 

"Yuffie, no...oh, hello...how can I help you?" she said softly, looking at the stranger who stood in the doorway. The figure squinted his eyes a bit. 

"I'm here for the Green Materia. Project Re-birth. Codename Phoenix" the boy stated as his mismatched eyes focused on the lady. She dropped her broom slowly, grabbing at her chest. She took rapid deep breathes. 

* * *

"This is the place" Reeve announced, looking up from his paper. Red wagged his tail around rapidly. 

"This does not look like a Shinra way-station...I suppose that is why it is one" Red said calmly. Reeve looked down at the him and smirked a bit. 

"Never suspect a thing" Reeve noted as he looked back up at the decaying building. Cloud took a few steps forwards, then suddenly jumped back. He bent downwards and looked at the ground. 

"It's shaky over here guys..." Cloud said he slowly put his hands into the garbage. Red trotted forward a bit. 

"Let me give you a hand" Red remarked as Cloud began to lift up on something. Before Red could help him, the piece of scrap metal Cloud had grabbed went flying into the air, causing Cloud to fall forward. Cloud went falling down into a hole in the ground, sliding down the side. He landed on his feet. Red looked down the hole quickly. 

"Are you ok Cloud?" Red called out. Cloud dusted himself off as he looked upwards. He smirked a bit; his face covered in dust. 

"I'm fine Red...just give me a hand out of here, would you...?" Cloud asked as he walked towards the edge of the hole. Red nodded and reached his paws downward. Reeve walked over and looked down into the hole. 

"Hey guys...there is a door down there" Reeve said, pointing towards the back side of the hole. Cloud blinked and turned around. 

"Hey...yeah, there is actually a door there" Cloud noted. Red looked over at Reeve. 

"It's impossible for rubble to fall like this, right?" Red asked, looking up at Reeve. Reeve let out a nervous chuckle. 

"Someone has been here recently, or it's the biggest coincidence I've ever seen" Reeve said, his hand rubbing the side of his head. Cloud stood before the door, looking it over. He gently reached down and turned the doorknob. He opened the door and jumped back. 

"Ack..!" Cloud screamed, his face in shock. Red quickly jumped down into the hole and ran in front of Cloud, his teeth showing. He quickly stopped growling and took a step back himself. Reeve took a deep breathe and jumped down the hole as well, landing right on his butt when he landed. He slowly stood up and looked down. He began to dust his pants off. 

"Hey guys, what...guys?" Reeve asked as he looked upwards at them. They still faced the door-way; the only sounds in the air was beating hearts and gasping breathe. Reeve walked over and looked at the door way himself. 

"What's the big...oh my goodness!" Reeve said as he reached up and covered his mouth with his hands. He slowly took a deep breathe, his eyes wide. Red's tail twitched a bit in the air. 

"Well Reeve...someone dug this out recently; I'd say" Red said as he stared down at the four former human bodies standing at the doorway, reaching for the doorway. Cloud took a deep breath and looked upwards at the garbage piled around them. 

"Buried alive..." Cloud said slowly. Reeve turned around and vomited all over the ground. Cloud clenched his eyes tightly. 

"Well...come on guys...let's just get this over with" Cloud said as he slowly stepped over the bodies and began to walk down the poorly-lit hallway. Reeve turned around and faced the hallway. Red gently looked up at him. 

"Come on..." Red said softly as he jumped over the bodies and began to walk down the hallway. Reeve quickly jumped over the aging skeletons and followed them down the hallway. 

* * *

Godo sipped his tea softly, letting the taste roll down his throat. He sighed contently as he opened his eyes and poured himself another cup of tea. He slowly picked up the newspaper and flipped to the business section. A smile enriched his face. 

"Yes...the spoils of the survivors...we're getting richer and richer. Midgar's fall was our climb" Godo thought to himself. It was truly a good day. He read over the business section, glancing at numbers. All were positive. He reached down and took a sip of his tea as he slowly turned to the front page. He groaned; headlines bored him most of the time. He slowly glanced over the front page. 

"Hmm....health care issues...Junon elections...Kalm burned to the ground.. Gold Saucer increasing rates.. Kalm burnt down!" Godo shouted as he stood up, still grabbing the paper. His eyes scanned the paper over quickly. 

"This is nonsense...I mean, it's just a joke paper. No wonder everything was doing so well! Ha" he screamed, then laughed deeply. He looked over the top of the newspaper; his eyes scanning for people. He saw no one and took a deep breathe. 

"Very funny guys..." he said as he looked back down at the paper. He read over the article again, laughing a loud a few times. 

"Oh, I get it a guys...it's not all that funny...it's kinda sad..." he said as he read the article. He blinked a few times as he felt something odd, like someone was watching him. 

"I won't let you fool me this time guys...haha, so funny. A kid with silver hair is wanted for questioning...may have burned an entire city down...good one guys..." Godo said, as he chuckled deeply. He sat back down slowly, setting down the paper and picking up his cup of tea. 

"I am here for the Green Materia" he heard suddenly. Godo quickly looked up and saw Phoenix standing in the doorway to his office. Godo dropped the cup out of his hand, smashing it off the ground. He quickly reached over and picked up the newspaper and read the front page again. He looked back at the boy, then laughed loudly. 

"Oh, this is a good trick guys...you got someone to be like..." Godo began, but the boy's eyes hardened quickly. 

"I want the Green Materia....now" Phoenix snapped as his eyes focused in on Godo's eyes. Godo took a step back, dropping the newspaper. He slowly bent down into a defensive stance. 

"This is not a funny joke. You shall not disrespect me" Godo replied, his body tensing. The boy tilted his head upwards a bit. 

"Project Re-birth: Codename Phoenix...I am here for the Green Materia...now" Phoenix stated, his jaw clenching. Godo straightened himself out a bit and shrugged. 

"I don't know what you are talking about boy. I do not keep...need materia. I am strong enough without it!" Godo stated, crossing his arms. The boy's position did not change. 

"This does not answer my demand. I am here for the Green Materia" the boy restated. Godo shrugged his shoulders a bit. 

"Any materia I have gotten I gave to my daughter" Godo replied calmly. The boy nodded once. 

"Very well. Where is she?" Phoenix responded quickly. Godo's eyes went wide. 

"What do you want with my daughter?" he snapped at the boy, as he clenched his fists and went back into a fighting stance. Phoenix took a deep breath. 

"I want the Green Materia" Phoenix replied as he tapped his foot a few times, slowly crossing his arms. Godo let out a confident laugh. 

"Boy, you will not disrespect me again or I shall make you pay!" Godo screamed at him. Phoenix un-crossed his arms as he smirked. 

"You can not defeat me, old man. Not ten years ago. Not twenty. Certainly not now" Phoenix replied as he tilted his head to the side and sneered. Godo stomped his foot and shook a fist at him. 

"That is it you little disrespectful punk! You shall now see why I am the ruler of Wutai" Godo screamed as he rushed at the boy. He quickly pulled back and punched at the boy. Before he could react, the boy rolled off to the side, throwing an elbow at Godo's face. Godo's eyes went wide as he stumbled back. He reached up to touch his face, but felt something grab his waist. Looking down, he saw the ground disappear below him, then he saw the pictures as he moved upside down. He saw the ceiling, then his head slammed down into the ground as the boy let go. Godo's eyes slowly opened as the image of the boy came to view. The image flickered a few times to Godo, then slowly he began to lean upwards. Phoenix stomped on his chest and looked down at him. 

"I want the Green Materia. The old lady sold it to you. You gave it to your daughter. Where is your daughter?" Phoenix asked, his eyes focused on Godo's. Godo turned to the side. 

"Hmph...why should I tell you...?" Godo screamed as he grabbed the boy's foot and tried to lift it off. Phoenix just slammed his other foot into Godo's throat. 

"I need the Green Materia. I have no time to waste with you. Where is your daughter?" Phoenix said quickly, his foot digging into Godo's throat. Godo clawed at the foot with his hands, gasping for breathe. Phoenix let his foot up a bit. Godo took in some huge breathes, then looked up at him. 

"You're the boy in the paper...burnt a town down..." Godo questioned, his eyes locking onto the boy's. 

"Irrelevant...I need the Green Materia and your daughter has it. Tell me where she is, now!" Phoenix screamed as he jammed his foot back into Godo's throat. Godo gamely tried to push the foot away, but he could not budge it. Phoenix twisted it in deeper. 

"Where is your daughter?" Phoenix asked as he pushed in as hard as he could. Godo was slowly blacking out. Then, suddenly, the Conformer slammed into Phoenix's head, knocking him to the ground. He landed face-first on the ground hard. The Conformer whipped back to Yuffie, who caught it with ease. 

"Right here you jerk!" Yuffie screamed. 

* * *

"Are we there yet...?" Tifa asked slowly, looking over at Cid. Cid just threw his hands up in the air as he turned in around. He took a deep breathe then looked over at her. 

"Tifa...you just asked me five minutes ago. No; we're not there yet!" Cid replied. Tifa blushed a bit as she smiled. She jabbed her toe into the ground once or twice, then laughed nervously. 

"Sorry...just impatient, that's all..." Tifa replied. Cid leaned back down on the railing, then glanced over at her. 

"You should really take up smoking; it would calm you down" Cid replied. Tifa giggled a bit, then looked at him. 

"You're not all that patient you know" Tifa replied, smirking at him. Cid just chuckled a few times. 

"We're almost there Tifa, trust me" Cid replied as he let out a huge puff of smoke. Tifa smiled as she looked back down at the passing planet. 

"Good..." she said softly as her brown eyes reflected the deep blue of the ocean. 

* * *

"You old geezer...you put a good fight..." Yuffie said as she lifted him up a bit. Godo coughed a few times, then opened his eyes, looking at her. 

"Be careful...very fast..." Godo stated slowly as he gasped for breathe. Yuffie laughed confidently. 

"Not as fast as a ninja. I'll teach him not to disrespect Wutai!" Yuffie said confidently. She looked over to the floor where the boy was lying. She quickly stood up and smirked. Suddenly, the boy kipped up to his feet, looking at her. 

"You must be the daughter. I need the Green Materia" Phoenix stated. Yuffie took a step back as the smirk faded from her face. A look of determination set on her face. 

"I doubt you can beat me. I'm a trained ninja. Fast as lightening; furious as thunder" she said, throwing a few jabs into the air. Phoenix's eyes narrowed. 

"You are as arrogant as your father. I want the Green Materia. I have no time to waste with the likes of you" the boy stated harshly. Yuffie blinked a few times, then grinned. 

"Well, you did beat up Godo...so I guess you are tough...I mean, I bet you could beat me...sure, you can have the Green Materia...follow me..." she said to him, her eyes lighting up. 

* * *

Cloud was staring downwards; his blue eyes fixed directly on the dead corpse. His body did move as he stared. Red slowly walked up to him and looked up at him; worry covering his face. 

"What is wrong Cloud?" Red asked softly. Cloud slowly looked at Red as his body slowly began to loose its tension a bit. 

"Nothing major Red...just thinking these guys suffocated because they were working on a project...I dunno, it just reminds me how horrible Shinra was..." Cloud said slowly. Red nodded a few times. 

"The planet suffered a huge blow from Sephiroth and his Meteor...but in the long run, I believe it helped save the planet. It helped destroy Shinra...it saved many people's lives in the long run..." Red stated, his own eye slowly glancing down at the body. Cloud blinked as he looked at Red. 

"It saved a species as well..." Cloud said softly. Red casually looked up at him and smiled slightly. 

"I wanted to say that; but I did not want to come across as self-centered" Red stated as he sat back on his hind legs. Cloud nodded a bit, then looked down at the body. 

"I just they knew it could be dangerous working down here" Cloud stated softly. Red shook his head a bit, his tail wagging behind him. 

"Not to change the subject...but what do you think they were working on? I mean, we know this Project Re-birth has some teenage boy involved" Red stated, looking around a bit. Cloud looked around the hallway as well. 

"I know...maybe something to do with bringing the Cetra race back?" Cloud asked a loud. Red blinked a few times then looked at Cloud. 

"That's an interesting idea, but where did you come up with that from?" Red asked curiously. Cloud shrugged his shoulders. 

"Well, that boy was about fourteen or fifteen I'd say. Well, I remember Aeris' step-mom mentioning that she found Aeris when Aeris was around four or five. Well, Aeris was around twenty-two when I meet her. So it had been seventeen years since she had escaped. Realistically, saying the boy is fifteen, you could say he may be related to Hojo and Shinra's desires to have a Cetra" Cloud stated professional. Red blinked a few times, then nodded. 

"Well...I'll be honest Cloud, that sounds very logical...it is very possible that this is all connected..." Red stated as he blinked a few times. Cloud tilted his head and looked at him. 

"Is something in your eye Red?" Cloud asked. Red stopped blinking then shook his head. 

"No...no offense Cloud, but you're the last guy I'd expect to say something that thought out" Red replied. Cloud shrugged his shoulders then laughed a bit. 

"Well, it's just a thought" Cloud replied. They both let out a laugh; the tension of the whole thing shattering around them. 

"Guys...you better come down here!" Reeve called out as the tension reassembled quickly. 

* * *

"It's right over there..!" Yuffie said, pointing to the back wall of the basement. The boy walked forward without delay, looking at a small box on the mantle. Yuffie started laughing as a giant cage fell from the ceiling onto of him. The boy stopped and turned around as Yuffie laughed. The boy's eyes narrowed. 

"That was not smart..." the boy said as he held his hand up facing her. Slowly, his thumb crossed over the palm. Yuffie laughed at him even more, her body moving in and out rapidly with each laugh. 

"Oh yeah, what you gonna do now? Make funny hand signals at me...oh, this is too much! Just you wait until we get the cops on you for beating up an old man. You're going to be in cages like that one a long time. Did you really think I was going to give you any of my materia? Dream on!" Yuffie said, smiling brightly as she straightened herself out. Slowly, a silver light formed around the boy's hand. The larger the light grew, the less Yuffie smiled. Her eyes grew bigger. 

"I want the Green Materia....I will get it...Big Bang Attack!" The boy screamed suddenly as a giant silver ball of energy flew from his hand, smashing into the metal cage. Yuffie quickly jumped back onto her face, covering her head as the giant explosion flung pieces of metal back towards her. She slowly lifted her head up and looked at the cage. The entire front side was gone; the pieces of metal scattered all over the floor. The boy had not moved from his position; his hand still in front of him. Yuffie gulped hard. 

"You....you...what...you broke my cage!" Yuffie screamed at him loudly. The boy stepped out of the giant hole in the cage, glaring at her. He stalked towards her, the staff suddenly appearing in his hand. 

"I no longer have time to waste on you. I need the Green Materia...now!" he screamed at her, crouching into his fighting stance. Yuffie pulled out the Conformer and gritted her teeth. 

"Yeah, well I don't have the time to waste on punks like you either! You will pay for the disrespect you have shown my father!" Yuffie screamed at him. Phoenix smirked at her. 

"I cannot show him disrespect...for that to occur, he must be respected in the first place..." Phoenix said, a dark grin on his face. Yuffie lifted her arm up to throw the Conformer, but Phoenix ran forward and slammed his staff into her stomach, sending Yuffie into the wooden steps in the basement. The wood cracked as Yuffie groaned, slowly pushing up with her arms. She glared at the boy as she stood up, rubbing her back a few times. He was still standing in the exact position as when he hit her, until the . She saw red as she glared at him. 

"You ignorant prick!" she screamed, her teeth grinding into each other. The boy slowly straightened his body but still did not turn to face Yuffie. His head turned over slightly to face her, his eyes narrow. 

"This is the last warning. I want the Green Materia. Either give it to me or I will make you" he snapped at her, staring at her sharply. Yuffie took a deep breath as she clenched the Conformer. 

"Never! You will have to kill me" she screamed. The boy's lips curled into a smile. 

"When I get done with you; you'll wish I had killed you" he remarked as he lunged at her, jumping into the air and kicking towards her. Yuffie quickly jumped up to the top of the steps to avoid him as Phoenix's foot smashed into the wooden stairs, shattering them. Yuffie quickly turned and ran out the front door. She skidded to a stop and turned around. As she turned, her face meet Phoenix's fist, causing her to stumble back a bit and hold up the Conformer. 

"Forget this crap! Fire...!" She screamed as a red glow formed around the boy. He quickly ducked and covered his hand as the flames covered his body. As the fire died down, the boy stood up and looked at her. He leaned back and cracked his back, glaring at her the whole time. 

"I doubt that type of attack will work" he stated as he glared at her.Yuffie huffed as she felt sweat rolling down her forehead. She felt the humidity lying on her. She held up the Conformer to her face then lifted it back up over her head. 

"Well, let's see how this one fairs!" Yuffie screamed as she flung the Conformer at him as hard as she could. The boy suddenly turned around as the staff extended in his hands. Suddenly, he gripped the end of the staff and swung hard as the Conformer neared him, sending it flying into the sky. Yuffie's eyes went wide as she looked up into the sky. Phoenix looked upwards as he saw nothing in the sky. 

"It did not fair very well" Phoenix stated as he looked down from the sky at her. Yuffie looked back down and gulped as she slowly eased into a fighting stance. 

"That was a dirty trick..!" Yuffie screamed, her voice catching. Phoenix glared over at her as the staff disappeared from his hands again. 

"So was using the cage" the boy responded as he ran at Yuffie and slammed his forearm into her face. Yuffie's body jolted backwards, falling onto the ground with a thud. Before she could react, he jumped into the air and slammed onto her chest, knees first. Yuffie's lungs deflated like volleyballs as she groaned. Phoenix grabbed her face with one hand, lifting it up a bit, then slapping her with the other one. 

"Where is the Green Materia" he said. Suddenly, Yuffie mule-kicked him in his private area. Phoenix backed off a few steps as Yuffie scrambled backwards on her hands and knees, pushing to her feet, looking around on the ground. 

"Where is the Conformer...?" She cried out as she looked around. Suddenly, Phoenix grabbed her by the hair and spun her around. He finally let her go, sending her flying through the air until she smacked into a house. Yuffie slumped down against the house, her head tilted downwards. Yuffie grasped for the hot sticky air to feel her lungs, but she felt no air around her; only the heat. 

* * *

"Where is the fire Reeve?" Cloud screamed as he jumped over a dead scientist. Red quickly landed at his feet, looking in. 

"Reeve, what was the hurry?" Red asked as he jogged over to the computer desk. Reeve sat at the computer, typing. 

"Guys...Re-birth is a real project....there is so much information here..." Reeve exclaimed as he looked back at them. Cloud took a deep breath and nodded. 

"It's real...but what is it...I mean, what is going on Reeve?" Cloud asked breathlessly. Red nodded his head, his tail smacking dust up all over the place. 

"Yes Reeve...what is going on" Red added, as both Cloud and Red's eyes fixed on Reeve's. Reeve nodded a bit, then turned back to the computer. 

"Here is what I know...it has been an on and off project for almost sixteen years now. It was included in the science and research section of Shinra as well..." Reeve stated as the lights in the room flickered quickly. Red looked up and saw the ceiling shaking a bit. 

"Perhaps we should move...?" Red asked, shaking his tail rapidly. Reeve turned back around to face him, nodding his head. 

"Yeah...all we need is this CPU unit" Reeve stated as he pointed to the large computer. Cloud walked over and looked at it. 

"Well Reeve, let's disconnect it and get out of here before anything happens" Cloud stated. Reeve nodded a few times as he climbed under the desk and began to pull out wires. 

"I know...don't wanna lose this information...ok Cloud, you can move it now" Reeve said as he climbed back out from under the desk. Cloud slowly picked up the computer as the ceiling began to shake some more. Red looked up as dust began to fall from the ceiling. 

"It's best if we moved out now" Red stated as he began to jog lightly towards the exit. Cloud nodded as he carried the computer out of the room. Reeve looked around the room, then jogged out of the room, closing the door behind him as he went. 

* * *

Yuffie winced as she opened her eyes and looked up. She quickly closed them again as Phoenix came running at her, drop-kicking her right in the face. Yuffie's head slammed into the wall as blood flew out of her mouth. Phoenix rolled backwards, landing on his feet. He looked down at her. 

"Where is the Green Materia?" Phoenix snapped at her. Yuffie's body slowly slumped forward. The boy sneered a bit then drop-kicked her head again, slamming it back into the wall. The boy kipped up to his feet, then looked down at her. 

"I will knock this town to find it; if need be" The boy snapped at her. He slowly bent down to grab her, but suddenly Yuffie lunged forward, head-butting his chest. The boy stumbled back a bit as Yuffie leapt forward and kicked him in the face, sending him stumbling backwards. Yuffie fell to a knee as she stared at him with a fire in her eyes. 

"You will not be knocking Wutai down!" Yuffie screamed as she lunged at him again; her fist flying forward. The boy quickly knee-lifted Yuffie in the face, catching her off guard. Yuffie spun herself around a bit, then lunged at him with a punch again. This time, Phoenix ducked down and upper-cut her in the face, sending Yuffie stumbling back. She blinked a few times, trying to see again. Suddenly, Phoenix forearmed her in the face, knocking her back into the wall. She slowly began to slide down the wall, her mouth bleeding, her eyes beginning to swell. The boy grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up, holding her against the wall. 

"Where is the materia?" he screamed, slamming her head into the wall. Yuffie's mouth opened slightly, blood dripping out of it. Her swollen eyes forced themselves open. Yuffie glared at him, then spit blood at him. 

"No...I won't tell you...you're...you're...just not...right!" Yuffie screamed, weakly putting her arms on his wrist, pulling on his wrist. The boy slammed her head into the wall again. Her eyes shut at once. 

"Tell me or I will force you" the boy screamed as he slammed her head one more time. Yuffie's hands let go of his wrists as her arms dropped to her sides. He held his hand up to her face, his palm flat. Slowly, a faint silver light gathered around his hand.. Her eyes opened weakly, looking at the hand. 

"Kill me...and you won't find the materia..." Yuffie hissed at him. He suddenly turned his hand towards a house. He sneered at her. 

"I guess I will knock this town down" Phoenix spat at her as a silver blast flew from his hand, hitting the house. Yuffie's eyes went wide as the house caught fire. She heard people screaming inside it. She turned to him and tried to kick him, but her feet weakly hit his chest. She glared at him and spit again, the blood smacking off his check. 

"Don't you dare hurt Wutai..." she began, but Phoenix quickly slapped her in the face to shut her up. He quickly put his arm back out and fired another blast, hitting a second home. Yuffie's eyes clenched closed. 

"Tell me. Or I will keep going" he said as he began to charge up another blast. Yuffie gasped for breathe, her mouth acting as a fountain for blood. She looked over at the two burning houses, then closed her eyes. She felt the salty water forming in them. 

"Fine!...I'll tell you...just leave Wutai alone..." Yuffie muttered. The boy looked at her, watching her. Yuffie clenched her eyes tightly as tears squeezed through. She gasped for breathe but the air was still stingy and warm. Suddenly, Phoenix kneed her in the gut as blood flew from her mouth, covering his face. Her eyes flung open. 

"Where is it then?" Phoenix spat, his grip on her neck tightening. Yuffie's eyes shut closed painfully as she whimpered a bit. She vainly reached up to grab his arm, but her fingers slipped on his skin as they fell back down to her sides. She opened her eyes and looked into his again. Then, she closed them once more. 

"My house...under the bed...floorboard...it lifts up..." Yuffie muttered softly. The boy tilted his head upwards a bit, the sneer glowing on his face. 

"Very well" Phoenix said to her as he spit on her. He loosened his grip on her neck as she began to slide out of his grip. Suddenly, the boy slammed her head back into the wall, then turned and choke-slammed her to the ground. Yuffie's body bounced off the ground as more blood shot out of her mouth, which landed on her face as more blood trailed out of her mouth. He walked up to her and looked down. 

"I hope you are not lying" he said as he stepped on her chest and pressed out, walking towards her house. 

* * *

"Are we..." Tifa began to ask, but Cid turned to her quickly. 

"Yes Tifa, we are almost there!" Cid said loudly, his arms out to his sides comically. Tifa giggled a bit then smiled. 

"Ok, sorry..!" She exclaimed. Cid shook his head as he took a deep puff of his cigarette. 

"You are so nervous...you should take up smoking; it would calm you down" Cid said as he let out a big cloud of smoke. Tifa shook her head. 

"Oh yeah...along with the wonderful benefits of cancer or maybe even getting careless and catching something on fire" Tifa said, laughing a bit. Cid shook his head then looked down at the ground below. His mouth hung open as his stared down. Tifa stopped laughing as she blinked a few times. Cid looked up at her, then turned around. 

"Guys, forget finding a really good spot; land anywhere safe!" Cid screamed quickly. Tifa's eyes went wide as she looked down. The distant flames reflected on her eyes, causing her emotions to catch a blaze. 

"Oh no..oh no.." Tifa panted as she put her hand to her head. Cid quickly rushed up and stomped his cigarette out. 

"We gotta get down there and see if everyone is ok" Cid quickly stated, as he began to run around the ship, screaming orders. Tifa kept glancing down at the city as she clenched her hands together in front of her heart. 

"Please...please...please...just be a house fire..." Tifa muttered as she looked down with wide eyes as the houses went out of view. 

* * *

Phoenix stared at the chest. It was sitting on the ground, surrounded by dirt; the wooden details were filled in with dirt. He slowly unlocked the latch and opened the chest. He stared at the chest; it was brimming with materia. He blinked a few times and shielded his eyes from the bright glow. Sitting near the top, in the far back corner, sat an oddly shaped square piece. He slowly reached over and picked it up, twisting it around in his hand. He slowly stood up as the chest slammed closed. He kept staring at the materia, his eyes fixed on it. Finally, his eyes blinked and he shook his head. He gently pushed the materia into his pocket and took a deep breathe. 

"That is four..." he remarked to himself. He pushed the bed back over the floor panel, then turned and walked out of the house. 

* * *

"Thanks Cloud for carrying that..." Reeve said breathlessly as he stared back at the building. Cloud shrugged his shoulders a bit, then sat the computer down on the ground. 

"It's no big deal at all, Reeve" Cloud said softly. Red wagged his tail, looking back at where they had just come from. 

"Strange that they would locate such an important building there" Red noted as he looked over at Reeve. Reeve shook his head. 

"Well, certain higher-ups do this type of thing to make sure no one else steals their ideas or projects" Reeve noted as he looked back at the building. Red nodded a few times then looked at the building. He had a wry expression on his face. 

"Maybe we were paranoid guys. That place seems fairly sturdy" Red stated, his tail wagging in the air. Cloud looked over at Red and nodded. 

"Yeah; it seems pretty pointless now that I think about it" Cloud stated. Suddenly, they heard a bunch of commotion. They walked the whole building sink into the ground a few feet; dirt and rubble shifting all over the place. Cloud slowly looked back out at the building, then laughed nervously as he rubbed his neck. Red chuckled a few times as he looked away from them. Reeve glanced over at the both of them. 

"Yeah guys; real glad we stayed there. I mean, we could be trapped now!" Reeve said as a huge grin covered his face. Red looked up at Cloud, who looked down at him. They both turned to Reeve, who was holding in laughter. Suddenly, all three of them left the tension break as their laughter filled the air like music. 

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

Chapter 5 

* * *

"Come on Cid...!" Tifa called out as she ran into Wutai. She skidded to a stop and turned around, looking for Cid. He finally came into view; his arm wailing around in the air frantically. Tifa let out a giggle when she saw him running. Cid stopped as soon as he heard her laughter. He slowed down to a walk as he began to take deep breathes of humid air. 

"Well, give me a break..I lost my cigarettes and I had to look for them..!" Cid proclaimed. Tifa shook her head a few times as she began to walk into the city. 

"I doubt that...there is the buildings!" Tifa exclaimed, pointing to the sky. They both saw smoke clouds mixing into the air with their fluffy cousins. Tifa quickly sprinted towards the houses; Cid right behind her as his arms began to wail all over again. Soon, they reached the scene. Cid and Tifa looked at the smoldering buildings, the terrible smell filling their noses. Tifa turned away from the house, where she spotted a group of people around a building. Tifa grabbed Cid's sleeve and tugged him a bit. 

"Ack...hey, what's going on?" Cid asked as he turned to see what Tifa was looking at. Tifa's face was turning a ghostly white. 

"Something is going on..." Tifa said as she slowly stepped over to the circle, trying to look the crowd of people. Cid closely followed behind her. Suddenly, Tifa peered through the crowd. Her eyes went wide as she put her hands to her mouth. 

"Oh my...!" Tifa cried out as she turned away quickly, covering her face. Cid blinked but quickly rushed forward and took her spot. He blinked a few times, gasping. 

"That...that's Yuffie..." Cid muttered as he looked down at the body on the stretcher. The face and hair was matted red; it looked like she was wearing face paint. Her normally black hair had dark red stains in it. Her eyes were puffy and swollen; Cid could not tell if she had them open or not. He felt a small shove and moved aside and Tifa moved back up, looking down at the stretcher. Paramedics moved people out of the way as they pushed the stretcher towards the local doctor. Most of the group of people followed behind it. Cid and Tifa kept looking forward, however, at the area where Yuffie had been lying. 

"There is so much blood...so much..." Tifa said, her voice cracking. Cid took a deep breath and closed his eyes. 

"I hope it's all a coincidence..." Cid muttered slowly as he stared into the pool of blood. Tifa nodded a bit as she clenched her hands together in front of her. She coughed a few times. 

"I hope so too...but it's not...it can't be...no one else does things like this..." Tifa stated slowly; her voice filled with sorrow and pain. Cid nodded once, his eyes fixed on the pool of blood. 

* * *

The water retreated to the sides as the ship cut into its territory. The big steamboat pushed forward, leaving a trail of clouds in it's wake. The ship moved forward, not worrying one bit about disturbing the water. No one paid much attention to the ship; the dock workers were already back to work on the next ship. The foreman, however, had stopped and was looking out at the ship, watching it drift into the horizon. 

"What ship was that?" Phoenix asked from behind him. The foreman blinked and turned around, eyeing him up. The foreman crossed his hands and tapped his clipboard against his body lightly. 

"This is no place for kids" the foreman spat. Phoenix's eyes narrowed a bit as he glared at the man. 

"What ship was that?" Phoenix repeated. The foreman just shrugged and looked back out at the sea. He slowly glanced down at his clipboard. The foreman chuckled a bit. 

"Look kid, get out of here. It's just a freight ship, it's none of your concern" The foreman stated, tapping the clipboard against himself. Suddenly, the foreman watched the dark navy blue of the ocean replaced by the light blue of the sky. He dropped the clipboard to the ground as the boy pushed him up from underneath him. 

"What ship was that?" Phoenix snapped at him quickly. The foreman's eyes went wide. 

"It was a steamboat heading for Bone Village..!" The foreman screamed loudly, kicking around a bit. The boy hoisted him into the air high, like he was lifting dumbbell filled with weight. He then dropped him behind him as the man slammed into the wooden dock. 

"Umph..!" the man groaned as he hit the surface. Phoenix bent down and ripped the clipboard from his hand, then scanned it over. He glanced down at the foreman. 

"When is the next ship to Bone Village; it is not listed here" Phoenix snapped at him. The foreman slowly pushed himself up to a push-up position, then fell back down on his face. 

"Urgh...not sure..." the foreman said as his mouth rubbed against the wooden dock hard. The boy bent down and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up by the neck. 

"You are not being very useful to me!" Phoenix snapped as he clenched his fist tightly around his throat. The foreman's feet kicked at the boy uselessly. 

"I'm not sure...at least not for two more days...!" The foreman said as he grasped for air as hard as he could. Phoenix suddenly spun around and slammed the foreman down hard into the dock. The force caused the wood to shatter as the foreman dropped to the unwelcoming sea below. The man plunged into the water, then quickly swam to the surface. He struggled in the sea's grasp. 

"Help..!" he called out. He paniced around in the sea, searching for safety. Finally, he saw a white thread of hope. He grabbed the rope as a few of the dock workers pulled him out. The foreman quickly got to his feet and looked around, his body shaking violently. 

"Where is he...?" the foreman screamed as he felt his knee gives out under him. He slumped to his knees, then fell flat to the ground; his face smacking into the dock again. 

* * *

"Can we rest...?" Reeve called out impatiently. Cloud and Red turned to face him, then looked at each other. 

"I dunno..." Cloud teased him as Red eased down to the ground. 

"Yes; we should. We are ahead of schedule" Red pointed out as he waved his tail around. Cloud put down the computer and sat down beside. 

"Gee Reeve; I'm doing all the heavy-lifting. How come you're the one who is tired?" Cloud mockingly asked him. Reeve quickly flopped to his butt. He looked at Cloud, then looked down. 

"I'm not use to this..." Reeve muttered under his breathe. Red looked over at him and grinned. 

"We both know that Reeve" Red assured him. Cloud shrugged a bit as he began to smile. 

"Yeah; we both know you're so busy with paperwork you never get the chance to work out" Cloud said, chuckling a bit. Reeve's face turned to tomato as his eyes grew large. 

"Oh come on! Without me, you guys wouldn't know which computer to grab" Reeve stated in his defense. Red yawned a bit as he closed his eyes. 

"I know that Reeve. Cloud does too; he don't got Tifa or Barret around to fight with, so you win" Red said, as he opened his eyes and looked at Cloud, who was nodding. Reeve threw his arms into the air. 

"Oh come on! I mean, why not Red?" Reeve questioned, looking at the two of them. Cloud looked over at Red as Red blinked a few times then closed his eyes again. Cloud shrugged and smirked at Reeve. 

"Because Red is pretty smart and will defend himself. You're smart but you get blustered pretty easy, Tomato Boy" Cloud stated as he pointed at Reeve's face. Reeve crossed his arms as he looked to the side. 

"I do not get that red!" Reeve defensively said. Red slowly opened his eyes again and chuckled a bit. 

"My-my Reeve; dare I say you look more red than I do" Red said as a smile crossed his face. Cloud blinked a few times, then began to laugh loudly. 

"Burn! Reeve, you just got burnt by Red!" Cloud screamed as he fell to his side, laughing. Reeve looked over at Red with wide eyes. 

"Hey! Red, that's not fair!" Reeve screamed as Red slowly chuckled. 

"Oh, I'm only joking with you Reeve. Don't worry; soon Tifa and Cid will be back and we can go back to making fun of them instead of you" Red stated, looking upwards at the sky. Reeve followed his glance upwards, looking at the oncoming night sky. 

"You think they already are heading back already?" Reeve asked as his face slowly returned to its normal state. Red nodded a few times then slowly laid his head back down on the ground. 

"I'm fairly sure; how long can it take to talk Yuffie into going on an adventure?" Red asked rhetorically. Reeve nodded once as he looked over at Cloud, who was still laughing. Cloud slowly stopped laughing and looked over at Reeve. 

"Oh man, Red called you red" Cloud said, a huge smile on his face. Red and Reeve looked at each other, then both rolled their eyes. Cloud blinked a few times. 

"What...what I do?" Cloud asked, looking at them both. 

* * *

"Damnit!" Cid screamed as he patted his whole body over. Tifa stopped and looked back at him. 

"What's going on Cid?" Tifa asked quickly, looking around. Cid reached into his pockets and yanked them out. They hung in the air like elephant ears as they whipped around in the breeze. He looked all around the ground, stepping as if he was afraid of a mouse. 

"Damnit!" Cid screamed again, looking all around. Tifa blinked a few times; with each blink her eyes grew larger. 

"What's wrong Cid? Did you lose something...?" Tifa asked quickly, looking down at the ground. Cid stomped around as small dust clouds gathered over the soil. 

"God damn! I lost my only pack of cigarettes!" Cid screamed, throwing his arms into the air. Tifa's eyes narrowed quite a bit as she focused on him, stomping towards him. 

"Cid, we need to take Yuffie to Junon General and all you are worried about are your cancer sticks!" Tifa screamed in his face. Cid blinked a few times, then took a step back. 

"Look Tifa, it's not like Yuffie can be moved; we need to wait until she is stabilized anyways" Cid pointed out. Tifa flung her arms into the air as she turned away from him. 

"I know! I know! I just feel like we're wasting time!" Tifa screamed as she slammed her fists into her sides. Cid sighed a bit. 

"Look Tifa, we need to be alone I think...you head back to the Highwind; I'll be there as soon as I find those damn cigarettes" Cid stated as he turned around and looked at the ground. Tifa took a deep breath. 

"Well....promise you won't take long" Tifa said to him with sadness. Cid chuckled a bit. 

"Tifa; even Yuffie is worth more than my cigarettes" Cid stated as he strolled along, looking through the grass. Tifa nodded a bit, then turned and ran back towards the Highwind quickly. She slowed down as she reached the rope ladder. 

"Why am I so jumpy...calm down Tifa" she told herself as she began to climb the rope ladder upwards. She stopped as she reached mid-way up and looked to the setting sun. 

"He won't be able to look in the dark; he'll head back then regardless...Cid's a big boy, he'll be fine. I'm the one who is worrying so much...why am I talking out loud..." Tifa asked as she closed her eyes. She let out a deep sigh as she gripped the ropes tightly. 

"It's going to work out...don't worry Tifa...it's gonna work out..." she repeated, over and over, as she climbed up the ladder. 

* * *

The darkness was setting around Phoenix, stealing the sunlight away for the moment. The humidity still stuck to the air, causing it to a form an unseen cloud. There was little light out now; the darkness was choking it away. Phoenix marched over to the base of a mountain, dropped his huge back-pack, then leaned against the rocks, his body moving down them until he was sitting there, looking out into the darkness. He clenched his fists as he looked out. 

"Damn her..." he muttered, looking out. That girl, Yuffie, had delayed him quite a bit more than he expected. Now he would have to wait until the next ship to Bone Village came in to leave this worthless continent. He realized there was nothing else he could do for now. He sighed as he put his hands on his knees, then placed his chin on his hands, looking outward. The tall grass was whipping in the wind, waving at him. He stared into the darkness, realizing how much of a waste of time this was. 

"Damn her" he repeated. 

* * *

"There...! Finally found em!" Cid exclaimed as he bent through the tall grass, grabbing the pack of lost cigarettes. He snatched them up and looked around. He felt the cold breeze hit him, sending his hair into a dance. He gently smacked the underneath of the pack and pulled a cigarette out. He held his hands in a cup as he lit the stick. He put it in his mouth and took a long drag of it, then blew some smoke into the air. 

"Ah...that's the stuff" Cid said as he turned and began to walk back towards the Highwind. 

* * *

Words slammed into Phoenix's eardrums. His eyes opened widely and glared around. Suddenly, something blazed into Phoenix's view. He lunged to his feet, looking outward. He saw a red flame moving in the distance; it was moving across the field. The waving grass teamed with the darkness to hide anything else from his view. Phoenix sneered as he put his hands at his sides in a cup-shape. 

"He must be searching for me...well, he finally did find me...Kamehame..." Phoenix began as a ball of silver energy began to form at his side. 

* * *

Cid stopped as the silver light hit his eyes. He twisted his neck quickly, looking at the silver light. The cigarette flew from his mouth, causing it to blaze through the air. 

Phoenix's eyes followed the falling flame, then thrust his hands forward. 

"Ha!" He screamed, sending the silver wave of energy right towards the cigarette, flying right through it. The energy wave nearly hit Cid, missing only by a few inches.The energy wave kept going, finally colliding into a mountain side a mile away, sending off a huge silver explosion. Both of them looked at the explosion, then quickly faced each other as the light died down. Cid quickly pulled out the Venus Gospel and ran forward, swinging down hard where he had saw the figure, but he almost fell over when he hit nothing but the ground. Cid quickly turned around. 

"You little ass! I finally found you" Cid declared as heard the sound of something metal smacking a rock. Cid looked outward, breathing heavily. Suddenly, a soft silver light lit the area. 

"Let the battle be joined" Phoenix replied, the silver ball of energy glowing in his hand, illuminating his face. 

* * *

Tifa leaned down on her hands a little harder as she glared out the window. She sighed a bit as she looked back at the doctors' securing Yuffie, then looked back out. 

"I knew he'd be late. I just knew it" Tifa said, pushing away from the ledge. She threw her arms into the air as she walked up to the deck of the Highwind. 

"I told him to forget them, but no, he had to go!" Tifa screamed as she halted. In the distance, she saw a fire burning. She blinked a few times. 

"That's in the middle of no where...I mean, the only way there would be fire there is if someone was camping there. Or if that kid...oh no!" Tifa screamed, running over to the rope-ladder as fast as she could. 

* * *

"Quit hiding in the dark!" Cid screamed, holding the Venus Gospel tightly in his hands. To his left, Phoenix landed on the ground and swung his staff as hard as he could, hitting nothing but air. Cid heard the swing and quickly turned to face him. The boy's face became illuminated in silver light again as he held his hand up. 

"I'm right here. Where are you?" Phoenix spat out, glaring to his left. He barely made out Cid's body in the light. Cid lunged forward, swinging at Phoenix as hard as he could. Mid-way down, Phoenix slammed his staff into Cid's ribs as hard as he could. Cid gasped as he fell to his knees. Phoenix spun around and slammed the staff into his back, causing Cid to fall forward in agony. Phoenix swung again, but Cid ducked down and then rolled forward. He quickly got to his feet and looked back. Cid gasped for breathe. 

"You think you little light-show can scare me?" Cid gasped. Suddenly, a ball of energy flew past Cid's face, forcing him back a step. Cid spun to the left and looked at the direction the blast came from. Cid held the Venus Gospel up in a guard position. 

"Why are you searching for me?" Phoenix spat out as a soft silver glow illuminated his face. Cid took a step back One of his hands peeled off the staff and held his chest as he looked at the boy. He tried to calm his breathing down, but he stilled exhaled loudly. 

"You punk! You shot that blast at me!" Cid spat out at him. Phoenix let the silver light die out as the darkness covered them both again. Cid quickly rolled to the side and looked upward. He gasped for his breathe even more. 

"You were searching for me" Phoenix responded as he rushed forward, swinging his staff at where Cid had been. Cid quickly leap back to his feet and swung with all his might, but Phoenix put his staff up to block. Cid pushed hard against his staff, but Phoenix pressed harder, knocking Cid onto his back. Cid rolled to the side again and held up the Venus Gospel in a block position. 

"I was looking for my cigarettes! Why couldn't we find you before, when we were looking for you?" Cid screamed at him, then instantly clamped his mouth shut. Cid looked around, but he saw nothing. He slowly got to his feet and looked around. 

"Come on out kid! No sense hiding...I'll find you!" Cid screamed, gasping for his breath still. The wind blew into him, sending a chill down his spine. Cid grasped the staff even more, looking around in a semi-circle. Ahead of him, he saw light flash. Cid hit the dirt at once, then looked up. The light was beginning to get closer and closer. Cid lunged to his feet, swinging his staff downward. The light fell from the person's hand as Cid went to strike again. He heard a female scream as the person hit the ground. Cid stopped in mid-motion and looked down. 

"Who's there?" he screamed as he jabbed the staff into the person's belly. He heard a slight groan, then felt the staff pushed aside. 

"It's me Cid!" Tifa screamed as she stood up, dusting herself off. Cid blinked as she bent down and grabbed the light. Tifa shined it right in his eyes, causing him to blink a bit. 

"Stop it Tifa; turn that thing off!" Cid said as he pushed it aside with one hand while the other hand covered his eyes. Tifa blinked a few times as a cold chill ran down her spine. 

"You ran into that kid...didn't you?" Tifa stated, feeling short on breathe. Cid nodded a bit, looking around. 

"I've lost him out here...he's here somewhere...I thought you were him..." Cid stated, then slowed to a stop. Both of them looked around as the cold wind smashed into their sides. Tifa crossed her arms. 

"How did he find you out here...forget it. We can talk later. Let's get back to the Highwind and get out of here" Tifa stated as she grabbed Cid's arm and gently tugged him towards the Highwind. Cid panted as he walked along. 

"Slow down...he is really quick; we don't know where he went..." Cid said as he took deep breathes, holding his ribs with one hand. Tifa gulped as she looked around. 

"I hate this...he's like a shadow...he's always around us. Then he shows up and just...urgh!" Tifa screamed as she slammed her arms into her sides. Cid strained to take a deep breathe. 

"I think we all hate this...let's just get going...we're leaving tonight; we can worry about resting once we finish all this bullshit" Cid stated as they trudged back towards the ship with caution. 

* * *

The silver energy flickered around his fingers, dancing in the dark night. The energy glowed off, giving his face a silver shadow on it. Phoenix thought over what that man had said. 

""We had been looking for you'...who is the we" Phoenix thought as he stood up on the hill. However, as the attack had almost reached its peak, the energy began to disappear into the night sky. Phoenix glanced down at them, once again his own face covered in darkness. 

"That voice sounds familiar. Regardless of that, they're leaving. Leaving on something..." Phoenix said, then quickly jumped off the small hill he had climbed and sprinted back to where he left his backpack. He skidded to a stop, then grabbed his backpack and swung it onto his back. He bent down and picked up the sword and looked where he had been. He sneered a bit as he began to run back, his body ripping through the tall grass. He skidded to a halt. 

"That voice is from that girl at Junon. The one who was with the man with the sword" Phoenix said, as he eyes lit up. The sneer was slowly replaced with a smirk as he began to sprint again. 

* * *

"Do you wonder who he is?" Cid said as he took Tifa's hand and helped her onto the deck of the Highwind. Tifa got up and looked back down. She took a deep breathe. 

"You know Cid, the moment I saw him, I swore it was Sephiroth..." Tifa responded. Cid blinked then looked down as well. 

"I don't know about that, but to be fair...it sounded alot like..." Cid began, then stopped. He did not want to open up old wounds. Tifa just nodded and turned towards the door. 

"It's alright Cid...it was a lot like that. I mean...a lot...well, let's go Cid. I wanna get back to the others as soon as possible" Tifa stated as she disappeared into the ship. Cid turned and went to walk, but heard something below. He quickly back down. 

"Hello, anyone there? Guess not...I'm getting paranoid" Cid stated as he walked into ship. Down below on the ground, Phoenix grabbed onto the rope-ladder and looked up. 

* * *

Cloud dragged the stick along the ground through the dirt while his other hand kept his face from falling over. He kept going around in circle for a few moments, then finally looked over at Red. 

"So what do you think is keeping them?" Cloud asked as he looked back down at the dirt. Red glanced over at him, then back forward towards Reeve. 

"Cloud, we did find the computer very quick. Perhaps they decided to stay the night in Wutai or went to visit Barret before they came here" Red mentioned. Reeve turned around from his spot and looked at Cloud. 

"You're not worried are you?" Reeve asked, his eyes focusing on the stick. Cloud looked up at Reeve and glared a touch. 

"Of course I'm not! Why would I be worried? What is there to be worried about?" Cloud asked as he looked back down and began to drag the stick around again. Red closed his eyes and wagged his tail around while Reeve looked at the computer. Behind them both, the stick snapped. Cloud jumped to his feet and stomped on it a few times, dust flying into the air. Red and Reeve both turned around and looked at him. Cloud looked at them and sighed a bit as he sat back down. 

"I'm not nervous...! I'm just bored, ok?" Cloud stated as he looked down into the palm of his hands. Red rolled his eyes a bit and smirked. 

"I think you just miss Tifa. I would not worry Cloud; they'll be here enough" Red said. Cloud leaned back and laid his back across the ground. 

"Not soon enough" Cloud murmured as he looked up into the cloudy sky. 

* * *

"Hey Barret...wakey-wakey" Tifa said as she stood at the foot of his bed, leaning down a bit. Barret slowly opened his eyes and looked up at her. 

"Hey Tifa. Did I sleep for a week or something? You guys already finished?" Barret asked as he leaned up a bit. Tifa sadly nodded her head. 

"No. Actually, we had to bring someone else here" Tifa started as Barret's face covered in confusion. 

* * *

"This job can be so dull" the guard at the airfield said to himself as he walked around the Junon Airfield. His footsteps were the only sound that could be heard on the ground as he marched around. He stopped when he reached the Highwind. 

"I've always admired it. Shame I never got to go in it" the guard thought to himself. Then, he saw someone beginning to come down the ladder. He blinked a few times, then pulled a small tablet out of his pocket. He flipped it open and read the inside. He kept all the names of people who were from a ship and who was authorized to be on it. He looked back up as the person was about half way down. 

"Hey...hey you! What's your name?" The guard called out. The person kept coming down the ladder. When the person was closer, the guard called out again. 

"Hey, who are you?" The guard called out. The person turned around and looked at him. Suddenly, the person threw his backpack down towards the guard, then a long package. The guard blinked and reached for his gun. 

"Hold it you!" the guard called out as Phoenix jumped off the ladder and landed on the guard's shoulders in a sitting position. Before the guard could react or even fall over, Phoenix's legs tightened around his neck as Phoenix flipped backwards, sending the man flipping into the air. Phoenix picked up the sword and the backpack, then looked over his shoulder at the guard. 

"I am someone you do not wish to know" Phoenix remarked as he began to jog across the airfield. 

* * *

"And yeah...that's what happened" Tifa finished, looking down at the ground. Barret stared at her for a few moments, his mouth moving but no words coming out. Finally Barret stopped moving his mouth and took a deep breathe. 

"So, you're telling me he beat you guys over to see Yuffie, beat the snot out of Yuffie, fought with Cid in the nighttime...and he's still out there?" Barret asked. Tifa nodded slowly. 

"Yeah. The doctors think Yuffie will recover with time...she was in bad shape" Tifa mentioned, looking out the window. Barret nodded. 

"The brat was always tough if a pain in the ass. Have you had the chance to talk to her yet?" Barret asked. Tifa sighed as she watched people walking outside. 

"Not about anything except how she felt and so forth. She wasn't stable or anything until we got her here" Tifa noted. Barret rubbed his chin. 

"What about her father, what's his name? Did you guys talk to him?" Barret asked. Tifa blinked her brown eyes a few times as the images blurred outside. 

"You know, we didn't. Well, we did, but we only told him we were bringing Yuffie here. We didn't ask him about the kid" Tifa noted, looking back at Barret. Barret nodded a bit, then looked at the doorway as Cid walked into the room. 

"Hey Cid...how's the brat?" Barret asked. Cid sighed a bit as he crossed his arms. 

"She's got some badly bruised ribs. She may need some plastic surgery to fix her face. There not sure about that. She had a pretty severe concession, but it's not as bad as they originally thought. She's going to be ok in time" Cid spoke softly. Suddenly Tifa jumped up and pointed out the window. 

"There he is! There he is!" Tifa shrieked. Cid quickly ran over to the window and looked out as Tifa pointed. Cid blinked and looked out the window as Tifa ran towards the door. Cid quickly turned as Tifa stepped out. 

"Tifa, stop! I don't see anything!" Cid called out. Tifa looked back at him, then at Barret. 

"He's probably running or something!" Tifa said, looking at Cid again. Cid raised his eyebrows a bit as Barret looked into Tifa's eyes. 

"Tifa, I think you need to calm down" Barret said. Tifa's arms drooped to her sides. 

"But guys, I swear I saw him..." Tifa started, then looked down. Cid looked over at Barret. Barret sighed and nodded. 

"Hey Tifa, I think we better see if the others found anything" Cid said walking towards her. Tifa kept looking down. Cid patted her shoulder, shrugged towards Barret, then walked out of the room. Barret slowly laid back down on the bed. 

"Tifa, it's just some stress...get going, hurry up now. You know Cloud is missing you" Barret stated. Tifa instantly looked up and looked at Barret. 

"He's not missing me!" she stated as her cheeks begin to fill with color. Barret smirked and waved his hand. 

"Get going you; go ahead" Barret said. Tifa waved and backed out the word, giggling a bit. 

"We'll be back as soon as we can" Tifa said as she turned and followed Cid. Barret closed his eyes and sighed. 

"She always falls for that one" Barret said. 

* * *

"Oh..." the dock worker said as he watched his donut drop from his hand. 

Phoenix threw his backpack into the air, then quickly leaned down and slide the sword along the ground. He ran forward and began to backflip on the hard wooden dock. Phoenix grabbed the sword off the dock as he leapt into the air, where he grabbed the backpack with his free hand. As he landed on the back of ship, he already had the backpack on his back and was walking forward. 

"Crap" the dock worker finished as he watched the donut hit the ground and roll around. 

* * *

"That sounds like the Highwind" Cloud stated as he stood up, looking behind him. Red and Reeve both stood up and looked at it. 

"Funny; it's coming from Junon" Reeve stated calmly. Red looked up at Reeve, then back at the Highwind. 

"They may have visited Barret. Or possible the weather could have forced them to take a different route" Red added as he sat back on his hind legs. All three of their heads turned as the Highwind blew past them and slowed a bit away, floating in the air. Cloud walked over and picked up the computer. 

"Let's mosey" Cloud mentioned as he began to walk towards the ship. Red followed closely beside him. 

"See, you were worrying over nothing" Red mentioned as he looked up at Cloud for a moment then forward. Reeve jogged up behind them. 

"I wonder if everything went alright" Reeve asked as he walked beside them. Cloud chuckled a bit. 

"You can always tell by how Tifa looks. If she looks happy, that means it went well. If she looks like nothing is wrong, than it is. If she looks upset...well, you get the idea" Cloud mentioned. Reeve laughed a bit. 

"I bet you get that upset look a lot" Reeve said. Cloud glared over at Reeve, who quickly stopped laughing and turned forward. As they got closer, they saw one person standing on the ground while another person was climbing down the ladder. 

"I only see two of them. Yuffie must have decided not to come" Red stated as they walked closer. Cloud sighed softly. 

"I was hoping she would come. She can be a brat, but I do miss her" Cloud said. Red chuckled lightly. 

"Don't waste those wonderful compliments when she's not around" Red stated. Cloud glared down at Red, then over at Reeve quickly. 

"Why is everyone picking on me today?" Cloud asked, looking at them both from side to side. As he did, he stumbled, nearly dropping the computer. He steadied himself, then looked at Red. 

"It's too easy sometimes" Red said as he smiled and shook his head. Cloud just smiled as they continued forward. Soon, Tifa and Cid were in there range. The smile on Cloud's face disappeared the moment he saw Tifa. Cloud stopped and put the computer down, then looked her in the eyes. 

"Something is wrong. Really wrong" Cloud said. 

* * *

"So what do you think Kevin? Is this what you expected?" The older man said to the teenager standing next to him. The teen looked up at the man and grinned. 

"Well, it's not a stuffy desk job Dad, that's for sure" Kevin said, looking up his father. The father messed his son's hair all up as they stood on the back of the ship and watched as waves blew past. 

"No, it certainly is not boy" the father responded. From the distance, sitting on top of some boxes, Phoenix watched them. He then pushed himself around to face forward, looking at the sea ahead. He took a deep breathe, then looked down to his left. There, covered, was the sword. He untied the string holding the covering on it, then looked at it. He gently lifted it and twisted his wrist around while the last beams of sun for the day caught the blade. Phoenix gently placed the blade down then recovered it. He then looked forward again. 

"Soon...very soon" he murmured as he placed his elbows on his knees and rested his face on his hands. 

* * *

"Miss Kisaragi...you have visitors" the nurse said, looking down at the bed-ridden Yuffie. Yuffie looked up at her and cringed. 

"It's not my father, is it?" Yuffie replied. The nurse shook her head. 

"No...it's your friends" The nurse stated. Yuffie sighed and leaned up. 

"Send them in" Yuffie said as she propped herself up and waited. The door opened slowly Cloud and Tifa entered the room. Yuffie blinked at them. 

"Boy do you two look down in the dumps...I mean, more than normal" Yuffie stated. Tifa walked over to the side of the bed and sat down, looking at the ground. 

"How you feeling Yuffie?" Tifa asked calmly. Yuffie took a tentative sigh and looked at her. 

"I'm doing alright. I'll be doing great once I get my hands on that punk though. I'll teach him for wrecking my Wutai!" Yuffie screamed, then winced as she grabbed her side. Cloud stood at the head of the bed and crossed his arms. 

"Yuffie, what happened? I mean, at Wutai" Cloud asked. Yuffie leaned into her pillow and made a face. 

"Well, I went to go bother my dad about something, I forget what. So I got there, and the guards were knocked out. So I ran to see my father, and that kid was beating him up. He wanted some materia..he kept calling it "Green Materia". I mean, just plain Green Materia. So anyways, I tricked him into going into my basement like I tricked you guys that one time. He fell for it too...but then he blew up the cage! Like, stuck his hand out and just blew it away! Well, then we started to fight. He got some lucky hits in on me, then he start blowing up buildings until I told him where I hide my materia. Then, he let me go...what he did after that, I have no idea" Yuffie explained to them. Cloud sighed as he closed his eyes. 

"It's the same as always. It doesn't add up" Cloud remarked. Tifa blinked and looked at Yuffie. 

"What was that about materia?" Tifa asked quickly. Yuffie sadly shook her head. 

"He kept asking about Green Materia. I dunno if he meant a specific one or just the materia in general" Yuffie replied. Cloud opened his eyes and turned to the wall, slamming his hands into it. 

"This isn't making sense! What is he doing?" Cloud screamed as he slammed his head into the wall. Tifa jumped up and ran over to Cloud, grabbing him by the shoulders. 

"Calm down Cloud! Don't worry, Reeve is gonna figure out what's going on! And then, we'll know what we need to do" Tifa said between gasps for breathe. Cloud gently pushed her aside and walked out into the hallway. Tifa looked over at Yuffie, who bowed her head. Tifa sprinted out after him, nearly slipping on the floor. Tifa ran up behind him and grabbed his shoulder then turned him to face her. 

"What's the problem?" Tifa said harshly as she pushed him into the wall. Cloud grabbed her hands and pushed off the wall. 

"Everyone is getting hurt! Barret, Yuffie...it's like Sephiroth! At least we knew what he was doing! And I can't help anyone if I don't..." Cloud began, but Tifa pushed him back. 

"She's dead Cloud and it's not your fault!" Tifa screamed at him. They stared at each other directly in the eye in combat. 

"Hey guys...we need to talk" Reeve piped in suddenly. 

* * *

"Land" Phoenix murmured as he watched the approaching shores. He stood there; the cool morning wind pushing his jacket into the air behind him. The waves were crashing all around the ship, which caused the ship to tilt up and down a bit. The morning sun shined brightly on the sea, giving it an orange tone. Phoenix stared forward; his eyes never wavered off the shores until the ship reached near the shore. He looked down at the passing docks. He took a deep breath then jumped off the mast, landing on the dock with a hard thud. He looked around then walked down the dock. 

"It's almost time..." He murmured to himself as he held the sword tightly in his hand. 

* * *

Everyone had gathered in Yuffie's room; Yuffie was still laying in her hospital bed. Cid stood in the corner of the room, while Red sat next to him. Cloud stood in corner, while Tifa stood next to him. Barret sat near the doorway in a wheelchair. Reeve stood against the other wall, looking extremely nervous. 

"Ok guys, I opened up the computer files. Man...oh man, there is a lot of information there" Reeve began as his teeth chattered a bit. Cid chewed his gum loudly. 

"Well Reeve, out with it" Cid said between chews. Reeve whipped his brow as he began. 

"Alright, here we go. Project Re-birth is actually a sub-project of Project Parturition. Project Parturition was started around twenty years ago by Professor Hojo. It seems Sephiroth and Jenova cells weren't all the genetics Hojo liked to mess with. Phoenix was apparently started by Hojo to see if not only could he inject someone with Jenova cells, but to 'enhance' them to improve the person's abilities. Except for his first few tests, though, I can't access anything on those files..." Reeve stammered, looking around. Everyone's eyes got big. 

"It makes sense...Hojo loved to mess with genetics" Red mentioned from his position. Cloud nodded then looked at Reeve. 

"Are you going to be able to access those files Reeve?" Cloud asked. Reeve nodded very quickly. 

"I will be able to with some time. I'll need to hack to get into them, but I will be able to" Reeve mentioned. Tifa tapped her fingers off the wall. 

"Go on Reeve" Tifa stated. Reeve nodded as he picked up a few notes cards. 

"Alright...so Project Re-birth was started around four or five years ago. I'm not sure at this time why it's a sub-project of Parturition, but it could do with that boy's name being Phoenix. Phoenix means "re-birth" and parturition means birth" Reeve mentioned. Tifa tapped her fingers rapidly now. 

"I was about to ask that Reeve...so that boy could be genetically engineered" Tifa stated. Reeve let out a deep breathe. 

"I'm thinking the same thing, but no proof as of now....anyways, Project Re-birth was one of Hojo's personal projects. He apparently had been reading about the Lifestream and began to wonder if he could pull out part of the Lifestream...and give someone their life back. The project seemed to be insane; Hojo had three people killed for objecting to work on the project. Anyways, I checked out some old newspapers to see why Hojo may be interesting in death..." Reeve began, but Cloud's eyes lit up. 

"That's when Sephiroth was suppose to be dead...!" Cloud screamed, turning towards Reeve. Reeve solemnly nodded. 

"Yeah...that's my thinking too" Reeve responded. Cloud gasped as everyone looked at Reeve. 

"So what happened Reeve?" Cloud asked. Reeve took a deep breathe. 

"Hojo worked on the project like crazy; he tried just about anything possible. He explored areas of high Lifestream, he examined almost every type of Materia, he consulted any books he could get his hands on. Most of the files I got are from one of his assistants. And they're journal entries, not lab ones. The files for Project Re-birth are locked even tighter than Project Parturition. I did get some information though" Reeve stated as he began to stutter over words. Cid looked around at everyone, then spit out his gum into the trash can near his feet. 

"Spit it out Reeve!" Cid screamed over at him. Reeve leaned against the wall as his teeth chattered loudly. 

"Anyways, Hojo eventually focused on Materia. He felt he had the best chance using it. Anyways, I'm not sure if he ever tested it or even if it worked, but he apparently tried a few times" Reeve stated. Cid glared over at Reeve. 

"That's not helpful Reeve" Cid mentioned. Red glared up at Cid and stomped on his foot. Cid's eyes went wide as he bite his tongue. 

"Go ahead Reeve" Red said calmly from his position. Reeve took a huge breathe. 

"Well, Hojo gave up on the Project when he began to realize that Sephiroth was not dead. Hojo decided not to chance anything, though. He took four materia pieces he felt would be useful to the process and spread them apart so no one could get them. There was a Blue Materia, a Red Materia, a Purple Materia, and a Green Materia. Apparently, he ordered a materia dealer in Kalm to hold the Blue one, someone in Junon to hold the Red one, someone in Costa-Del-Sol to hold the Purple one, then someone in Wutai to hold the Green one. They were told if they were sold, they would be killed within twenty-four hours. There was also mention of something to put the pieces in, the Nifix Device, I believe. The materia were 'built' from pieces of materia; each piece is like a super small materia. The Nifix Device, it would seem, was meant to focus them all at once to bring someone back to life" Reeve stated. Tifa was now slamming her open palms into the wall. 

"Well, we saw him in Kalm and Junon. We also know he got the Green Materia, or at least looked...so we know who is trying to complete Project Re-birth" Tifa replied. Cloud grabbed Tifa's shoulder. Tifa took a deep breathe as she stopped slamming her hand into the wall. Cloud looked at Reeve. 

"Reeve, where is this Nifix Device?" Cloud asked. Reeve shook his head. 

"The files didn't say. My best guest would be in a lab in Midgar" Reeve stated. Red sighed deeply. 

"He possible already has it then. Some of the labs did look like someone had just been there. Although most of them seemed like treasure hunters, it's possible Phoenix got it" Red stated. Barret looked over them all. 

"So that screw-job Hojo wanted to bring Sephiroth back from the dead. And now, some punk kid who looks like Sephiroth is running around collecting the pieces to try it? And we're just sitting her?" Barret stated, looking around the room. Suddenly, everyone began to talk at once as the air was filled with clutter. Cloud looked around, then held his arm into the air. 

"Shut up! Everyone shut up! Alright, Reeve, where could this kid could be headed?" Cloud asked. Reeve blinked, then looked down. 

"Well...we're not sure if he was in Costa-Del-Sol yet. We need to check there. Now, as far as where Hojo suggested to try the machine...well, he suggested the City Of The Ancients. He felt that was the best place to connect to the Lifestream" Reeve stated. Cloud quickly looked around the room. 

"Ok, here is what we're going to do. Reeve, you get back onto that computer and try to hack into files. Barret, you're almost healed. You stay here and help out Reeve anyway you can. Plus, if that brat shows up here, you'll be here. Cid and Red, I want you two to go to Costa-Del-Sol and see if you can find out if our man was there or not yet. And Tifa, me and you are going to the City Of The Ancients and waiting for that punk to show up. Are we clear on all that?" Cloud stated. Everyone looked at him and blinked. 

* * *

"It looks like it is glowing" Phoenix remarked as he looked down upon the City Of The Ancients. The sunlight illuminated it; giving it a life of its own. The boy gently pulled the sword off his back and held it up to the light, once again letting the light reflect onto his face. He smiled as he studied his own reflection. 

"Almost time...soon....soon we will be together at last..." Phoenix stated as his grip on the sword tightened. He slowly pulled the sword away from his face and began down the path to his destiny. 

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

Chapter 6 

* * *

The glass alter stood still, as it always did. It had been there for many years, and except for the occasional visitor, all the alter did was collect dust. Much like the race of people who once used it, it was all but forgotten. It had been a few months since someone had visited it. And on that visit, the Cetra race was almost erased from history. 

Phoenix stared at it the alter from the ground, looking at the glass stairs, then up to the alter itself. He slowly put a hand over his heart, really it rapidly beating in his chest. He had no idea why he was having a hard time breathing, but he was. He gulped hard then started to hop up the glass stairs. He stopped when he reached the top stair. Something caught his eye. He turned to his right and looked down into the pool below.The water stood un-moved, but below it lay something. Phoenix looked forward at the alter, then quickly took his back-pack off and slammed it on the it. He gently tossed the sword next to the pack-back, then his coat next to the sword. He then looked down at the pool, then dove in. 

* * *

"You sure you don't want us to come with you" Red asked, looking up at Cloud and Tifa. Tifa glanced up at Cloud, but Cloud shook his head. 

"No, Tifa and me will be fine. I want to make sure this kid is stopped. We can't chance that he'd get all those pieces. We know he probably has three for sure. We're not certain about that last one, so I'd like to make sure" Cloud stated, sounding very serious. Red nodded as his tail swung around in the air. 

"Understood. Although, the odds would be more in our favor if we went together" Red stated. Cloud did his patent shrug. 

"Yeah, but if we spilt up we will cover two possibilities. And it will still be two-on-one if we do run into the boy" Cloud stated. Tifa jabbed her toe into the ground. 

"Plus...I wanna go back to the City...I mean...Cloud...this isn't going to be easy on us, but we both..." Tifa stated. Cloud nodded as leaned onto the wall. 

"I know...I know, but we need to. I mean, we can't hide from it forever...and I don't mean the..." Cloud began, but Red shook his head. 

"No-no, I understand. That's why I'm curious as to why you and Tifa want to go there and not...well, why not me and Cid?" Red asked, looking up into Cloud's eyes. Cloud turned away and looked at the ground. 

"I....we need to go there eventually Red. I mean, we can't avoid it forever" Cloud stated. Tifa gulped and clenched her eyes closed. 

"No, we can't...and well, this gives us a reason" Tifa said. Red nodded as he stood up. 

"I understand...we will come as soon as we finish searching in Costa-Del-Sol. That may take awhile, or it could happen very quickly" Red stated. Cloud and Tifa both nodded. Cid appeared in the huge room from the cock-pit and looked at them. 

"We're there, just need to drop the ladder...Cloud, Tifa, me and Red can go if you guys don't..." Cid began, but Tifa shook her head. 

"No Cid, we want to do this" Tifa responded. Cid nodded his head, then pulled out the cigarette out of his mouth and let a huge puff of smoke enter the air. He put it back in his mouth and took a deep hit. He started to walk up the stairs. 

"Let's go then, we don't got all day" Cid responded softly. 

* * *

The once still water was not violent as the boy swam through it, heading towards the bottom of the pool. He finally reached the bottom and looked at what appeared to be a pearl. He gently wrapped his fingers around it, then suddenly a white flash shot out. Phoenix covered his face with her free hand, then gently pulled back to look at it. His eyes locked onto it as he felt himself getting light-headed. He quickly swam to the surface, his legs pushing hard. His head pushed through the surface of water as air rushed into his lungs. He pushed himself out of the water with one hand, then looked at the pearl. As he studied it, he realized that this was no pearl. 

"It's materia" he said out-loud as he stared at it. He lunged to his feet and run up the stairs until he reached the top. He opened his back-pack and pulled out his notebook. He flipped through the pages, then stopped suddenly and began to read. 

"That's what this is" he said out-loud again. He placed the white materia down next to the sword. He quickly pulled out a dry, clean pair of clothes and tossed them aside. Then, he pulled a large square box out of the backpack. Then, he pulled out the four pieces of materia. 

"It's almost time..." he said as he picked up the dry clothes. He stared down at the sword and the materia. A small smile covered his face. 

* * *

"So...we ready to face this?" Tifa said to Cloud as they stood in front of the city. Cloud nodded, then grabbed her hand. 

"As ready as we'll ever be" Cloud said as he rubbed her hand with his. Tifa sighed softly and gripped his hand tightly. 

"I don't like this...I feel like...something bad will happen" Tifa stated, looking forward. Cloud nodded and closed his eyes. 

"I think cause...will, something bad did happen here...look, all we need to do is go in, look around, make sure he's not here, then we can wait out here" Cloud said quickly. Tifa nodded as she gently pulled her hand away. 

"Come on...let's get this over with" she said as they slowly walked in. 

* * *

"So you find anything useful?" Barret asked as he sat up in his bed, looking over at Reeve. Reeve just shook his head a bit as he kept typing. 

"Not really no" Reeve replied. Barret glared over at Reeve, then slammed his hand into the mattress. 

"I hate this! We're all cooped up in here and the others could be out there fighting for all we know!" Barret screamed. Reeve sighed as he kept typing, looking at the computer screen. 

"Hot-head" he murmured. Barret's eyes flung open as he stood up out of bed. 

"What was that?" Barret screamed. Reeve's eyes went wide and looked at him 

"Nothing...!" Reeve said as he felt himself blushing. 

* * *

Cloud entered the house. Although Tifa did not realize it, this house haunted his dreams almost as much where they lost Aeris. This is where he was sleeping that night. The night when he should have been there with her. Instead, he gave in and slept. Cloud closed his eyes as he entered the room. 

"I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry..." he murmured softly to himself as he leaned on the wall with one hand. He covered his face with the other. No matter what anyone, including himself, had said; he would always feel guilty for that mistake. That day; that hour; that moment was something he could never and would never forget. He had failed. 

"I promised to be your body guard...and I failed!" Cloud screamed as his eyes went wide and he slammed his fist into the wall. 

"Cloud...Cloud...!" he heard as he turned towards the door. In the distance he saw Tifa running towards him. Cloud ran out of the house and meet her at the doorway. Tifa's face was covered in horror. 

"Cloud...the staircase...down to where Aeris....well...it's open!" Tifa said. Cloud's mouth opened as he tried to find words, but nothing came. He then started to sprint that way, his legs churning hard. Tifa turned and followed behind him. Both of them sprinted towards the house. Cloud and Tifa stared at the house they had dubbed 'The sea-shell house'. Cloud looked at Tifa, who nodded her head; her face looking set and sure. 

"I'm not kidding Cloud...!" Tifa started, but Cloud went running into the building. Tifa blinked but then went running after him. Cloud stopped at the top of the steps. 

"It's like...like that night...!" Cloud stammered. Tifa took a deep breathe. They then nodded to each other, then both went sprinting down the steps. 

"This is not possible...!" Cloud screamed as he ran down the steps. Tifa followed behind him. Both of them turned to see the alter and stopped dead in their tracks. 

"You son of a bitch!" Tifa screamed when she saw the boy standing there. Cloud sprinted down the stairs, pulling his sword out. Tifa followed quickly in pursuit. 

"I don't know what you're doing here, but I'm sick of you! It will end here" Cloud shouted as he jumped from the steps and landed on the ground. The boy seemingly ignored them as he stood up there. Just as Cloud and Tifa neared the glass stepping-stones, the boy spun around and flung his hand towards them. 

"Makankosappo!" he screamed as a screw-beam of energy flung from his fingers. Cloud and Tifa both stopped and jumped to the side, but the blast slammed into the ground, causing a huge eruption. Cloud and Tifa went flying through the air and landed on the ground with a thud. The boy spun around. He placed the four materia pieces onto the machine at the corners. The machine began to hum. The boy turned around and glared down at Cloud, then over at Tifa. 

"You two cannot keep me from my father!" Phoenix yelled down at them, then turned back around towards the machine. Cloud coughed as he stood up. He looked at Tifa, who was still laying on the ground. Cloud ran over towards her and knelt down, grabbing her wrist. Tifa turned over and looked up at him. 

"Did....did he just say father?" Tifa said, her eyes growing wide as her face froze in fear. Cloud turned and looked up as Phoenix held the Masumane in the air. 

"It's impossible...! I mean, it's impossible!" Cloud screamed out. The boy placed the sword into a slot on the machine, then pressed his hands onto the controls. He turned and ran down the steps as suddenly, a huge green column of bright light formed around the machine. Everyone turned away as the bright green light blinded the room. Then, it sounded like a thunder bolt hit. Cloud peered through his hand, the green light still glowing through the cracks. Cloud turned back to Tifa. 

"What happening" They both said at the same time. Suddenly, an area in the green light separated as Sephiroth walked through it, much like someone walking through a water-fall. The light died down as soon as he stepped through. He looked back and grabbed his sword from the machine. He gently took the blade and ran it down his arm, feeling the cold steel against his arm. Cloud turned and looked back, but the moment his eyes saw Sephiroth, his jaw flung open. The Ultima Weapon fell from his hand as he stared, his body trembling in fear. Sephiroth threw his head back and began to laugh. 

"I am alive! I do not know how...but I am alive!" Sephiroth screamed as his laugh echoed off the walls, filling the air with their chill. Tifa scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping herself. 

"This is not happening..." Tifa stammered, her mouth hanging open. Her body shook around in fear as she watched Sephiroth stepped down onto the highest step . He glared over at Tifa and Cloud and sneered. Phoenix's face covered in delight as he moved forward as he looked up at Sephiroth. 

"Oh, I assure you...Round Three has begun Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart. The third time is a charm" Sephiroth stated. Cloud reached down and snatched up his sword. Tifa crotched into a defensive position much like a mouse does before the cat attacks it. Sephiroth slowly turned his head to face the boy. 

"And who are you?" Sephiroth asked, glaring at him. The boy smiled as he stepped onto the first step 

"Father...I'm your son...Phoenix" The boy stated, looking up at him. Sephiroth straightened his back out, tilting his head towards the boy. Phoenix took the next step up. 

"Father...I am the one who brought you back. It was my mission" Phoenix stated as his eyes filled with admiration. 

* * *

"Well, this was a waste of time" Cid called out to Red. Red glanced up from his spot near the building, where he was laying in the shade. 

"You've found out so soon?" Red asked calmly, peering up at him. Cid dropped a newspaper in front of Red. 

"Headlines say they found a materia dealer dead behind a bunch of buildings. There was a hole in the ground and a broken shovel" Cid remarked. Red read over the newspaper, his eyes scanning the article. His tail flapped in the breeze. It hit into Cid's leg, causing Cid to jump aside. 

"Watch it there Red!" Cid wailed a bit, looking down at his leg. Red rolled his eyes as he read. 

"Sorry...sounds like the boy's work...we better head to the City of the Ancients" Red remarked as he stood up and stretched himself out. Cid nodded as he pulled out a new cigarette and jammed it into his lips. 

"Let's move out then damnit. I can't wait to get my hands on that punk" Cid remarked as they headed back towards the Highwind. 

* * *

"That's garbage! That is not possible! You never had a son!" Cloud screamed out as his teeth chattered around in his mouth. Sephiroth spun and looked down at Cloud with narrow eyes. 

"Since when did you become my biographer?" Sephiroth hissed. Tifa's body trembled as she stood beside Cloud. Her feet were shaking as if she was in an earthquake. 

"We've killed you before Sephiroth! You're not some immortal god like you thought!" Tifa stammered out. Sephiroth gracefully jumped into the air and landed on the ground in front of them both. As he straightened himself out he stared into their eyes. 

"I under-estimated you before. That same mistake will not happen twice" Sephiroth replied coldly as he held the sword to the side. Suddenly, the boy landed behind him, his staff appearing in his hand. 

"Father, I shall..." Phoenix began but Sephiroth held up his free hand. 

"Shut up. I do not need your help to deal with these two...weaklings" Sephiroth remarked as a smile covered his damned face. Tifa took a step back, her legs shaking more than a flag in the wind. 

"Why you smiling...?" Tifa forced out as her hands began to numb from holding them together so tightly. Sephiroth leaned back and let out a demonic laugh, then straightened again. 

"Revenge has been a long time coming. You two have won battles, but I will win this war" Sephiroth snapped as he bent down into a fighting stance. 

* * *

"You crack that yet?" Barret whined as he looked over his magazine at Reeve. Reeve tapped on the keyboard quickly, his eyes scanning the screen closely. 

"I'm almost there...got it..!" Reeve said with a touch of pride. Barret put the magazine down and pushed himself to his feet. 

"And, what did you find?" Barret calmly asked as he walked over behind Reeve. Reeve's mouth open as he was reading. Barret blinked and tapped him on the shoulder. 

"Come on Reeve...this is no time to joke..." Barret began, but suddenly Reeve spun the chair around and stood up. 

"It is Sephiroth's son! That boy. He is Sephiroth's son!" Reeve screamed, pointing to the screen. Barret leaned down and began to read, his face going from one of anger to one of confusion. Then the anger returned. 

"That...that twisted fuck Hojo...!" Barret screamed as he clenched his gun-arm with his free hand. Reeve's eyes flung open as he jumped back in front of Barret, his arms out to the sides. 

"Don't shoot the computer!" Reeve screamed as his body shook. Barret rolled his eyes, then let go his gun-arm. He glared at Reeve. 

"I'm not going to!" Barret roared back, causing Reeve's hair to stand up on edge. Reeve gulped and smiled, nodding like an idiot. 

* * *

Cloud gently let go of his sword with one hand and put it on Tifa's shoulder. Tifa's eyes went wide and she grabbed the hand. 

"You are not fighting him alone" Tifa snapped, throwing his hand off her. Cloud did not turn but his eyes focused on her. 

"I am not telling you that. I'm going to fight him now. He told the boy to stay out of it...so we need to take Sephiroth out quick as possible. If we get lucky, we can catch him off guard...look, watch that boy. If he don't get involved, wait for the right moment to attack" Cloud commanded in a low voice as his eyes turned back to Sephiroth. Sephiroth tapped the Masamune on the ground a few times. 

"Are we done chit-chatting?" Sephiroth hissed as he drew back into his fighting position, the sword hanging motionless in the sky. Cloud and Sephiroth stared at each other as they stood there. 

"Yes..." Cloud stated as he ran towards Sephiroth. He swung his sword at his enemy's side, but Sephiroth blocked it easily. He spun and put his sword up as Sephiroth tried to rip his head off of his neck. Cloud started to push the sword away, but Sephiroth spun away and went back into his initial position a few feet away. 

"Simple. Too simple" Sephiroth chimed as Cloud ran at him again, swinging the sword at his side harder this time. He blocked it again, but as Cloud spun he put his hand up, slapping Sephiroth's face as he spun. His face covered in surprise as Cloud stopped turning and swung the sword at his side once again. Sephiroth quickly stepped back as the blade barely missed his stomach. As Cloud's body moved with the force of swinging, Sephiroth slammed a forearm into his head, knocking Cloud onto his back. Cloud quickly rolled through it and got to his feet. They both stopped and stared at each other again. 

"Want me to slow down until you catch up to my speed?" Cloud asked snidely, glaring at Sephiroth. Sephiroth's eye widened a bit, then narrowed. 

"You will never be a swordsman as I am. Never" Sephiroth snapped as he glared at that spikey-haired punk. 

"Times change Sephiroth" Cloud softly remarked as he rushed at Sephiroth. He held his sword high and began to swing at Sephiroth's side, but he stopped the blade and hopped backwards, trying to confuse him. But Sephiroth swung the Masamune at Cloud quickly, giving Cloud little time to block. Cloud stumbled back from the impact while Sephiroth repeated the attack. Cloud barely got his sword up to block, and when he did Sephiroth pushed downward towards his face. Cloud fell to a knee as he pressed upwards. Tifa gasped and took a step forward, then stopped. The boy, who stood on the second stair, glared at her. Suddenly, his staff appeared in his hand. Tifa gulped but stopped her forward motion. 

"Come on Cloud..." Tifa muttered. Cloud grunted as his sword sent its counter-part backwards. He shoulder-blocked Sephiroth, knocking him a few steps back. He dashed at him and swung at Sephiroth wildly, but Sephiroth just sidestepped. Cloud spun and swung at Sephiroth again, but Sephiroth ducked down and lunged forward, head-butting Cloud in the gut. Cloud doubled-over for a moment, then rushed wildly at Sephiroth again. He jumped up and lunged at him, but Sephiroth just side-stepped. The Masamune slammed into his back, slamming him into the ground. Cloud tried to push up, but Sephiroth put his foot on his back and held him down. The blade of the sword rubbed the back of Cloud's neck. 

"Amateur" Sephiroth hissed. Sephiroth looked up as he heard footsteps approaching. Tifa decked him right in the face, sending him stumbling back. He dropped his sword as Tifa ran at him and somersaulted off his chest, knocking him onto his back. The boy's face covered in anger as he watched. Silently, the staff disappeared. He started moving his hands around rapidly. Tifa spun and raced back to Cloud. She bent down, but he rolled over and got to his knees. 

"Tifa, why didn't you keep after him?" Cloud screamed in disbelief. Her mouth hung open. She looked down, searching for an answer. 

"Burning Attack!" Phoenix screamed from the stair. Suddenly, a ball of silver energy flew down at them. Cloud grabbed Tifa and spun her around, holding her. The ball hit the ground and exploded, sending them both flying through the air. Sephiroth looked up at the boy. 

"You idiot! I told you...I ordered you not to interfere! This is my fight, not yours!" Sephiroth snapped as he got to his feet. He reached down and picked up his sword, twisting his wrist. Phoenix blinked a few times. 

"Father...I..." Phoenix began, but Sephiroth just turned his back and walked towards Cloud and Tifa. Phoenix watched Sephiroth go. Out of the corner of his eyes, Phoenix saw that piece of whiter materia. He glanced back over at it, then went up the next few steps. 

"Miserable twits. Taken out by some boy's materia" Sephiroth said as he approached Cloud and Tifa. Cloud rolled over and fought to his feet. He raised the sword in front of him, his hands shaking. 

"I'm not afraid of you..." Cloud stammered. Sephiroth stopped walking, then laughed. He took one hand off the sword and held it to his chest as he laughed. 

"You have always feared me. You always will" Sephiroth remarked. Phoenix touched a few controls on the Nifix Device. Tifa sniffed the air as she leaned up. The smell of burnt flesh filled her nose. Looking up, the back of Cloud's shirt had been ripped away from the blast. Tifa gasped a bit as she got to her feet. 

"Cloud, your back..." Tifa whimpered as she stumbled around. She finally planted her feet and put her fists up. Sephiroth glared at the duo as he leveled the sword towards them. Cloud glanced over his shoulder at Tifa, then forward again. Taking a deep breathe, he lunged at Sephiroth, but his body was too slow. Sephiroth quickly side-stepped and put his knee up, causing Cloud to run right into it. Cloud grimaced as his ribs slammed into the knee then fell to his own knees once his support was removed. Sephiroth kicked him right in the face, knocking him over. Tifa shrieked but then ran at Sephiroth herself. She jumped and punched towards Sephiroth's face, but he just ducked and elbowed her in the gut, knocking her back down to the ground. Sephiroth walked over top of them and glared down. 

"If possible, you two may have grown even more pathetic" Sephiroth chimed as he laughed harshly. He took the blade of his sword and rubbed it into the back of Cloud. He pulled down, drawing a line in blood on Cloud's burnt back. Cloud began to scream out in pain, but Sephiroth kicked him right in the face. Phoenix gently placed the white materia on the Nifix Device, then took a deep breathe. Sephiroth pressed the sword a little harder, blood coating the tip of the blade. 

"Quiet you coward" Sephiroth hissed as he drew another line down on his back, forming an "X" on Cloud's black. Sephiroth marched over towards Tifa, who was trying to get to her feet. Sephiroth kicked her right in the head, knocking her back down. He calmly put the sword on her back, tearing through the clothes. He slowly drew an "X" of blood on her back, the sword piercing her body. Tifa lay motionless on the ground as blood stained her white shirt. 

"Pathetic" Sephiroth snidely said, then turned towards the staircase leading to the rest of the world. Phoenix glanced up as he heard his father's footsteps on the other staircase. He blinked a few times then looked back down at the machine. It was humming, ready to go to work. Phoenix looked at the materia shimmering in the light before he looked back over at his father leaving. Phoenix pressed the last switch then ran down the staircase towards Sephiroth. 

"Wait, father" Phoenix called out as he began to sprint up the stairs. The alter in the center of the room was covered in green light once again, causing the entire area to glow an eerie green color. 

* * *

"What...where..." Cloud muttered as his blue eyes fluttered. He tried to push himself up, but his arms turned to jello and he fell flat on his face. As he looked up again, he saw a figure climbing the stairs. His eyes flung open. 

"Aeris...Aeris..!" he yelled as he reached forward a hand. The figure stopped and turned, her brown hair spinning in the breeze. She smiled faintly at him before she turned and ran away. Cloud kept his arm in the air, reaching for something that was not there. 

"Aeris...wait...don't..." Cloud stammered as he fell flat on his face. He pushed up again and looked at the stairs, but she was gone. 

"No..." Cloud murmured as he fell back onto his face, his eyes slamming shut tight. 

* * *

"Father...!" Phoenix called out as he reached the peak of the hill. He glanced around as he scanned the area. Snow was softly falling on the ground, but the footprints still stood out on the ground. Phoenix spotted them and followed the prints. He walked down into a small valley then up the next hill. By the time he reached the hill, an inch of snow laid on his shoulders. He sneezed, sending snow flying off of him and joining their brothers in falling to the ground. 

"Father!" Phoenix called out again as he kept on the prints, searching for Sephiroth. 

* * *

"Do you think that kid got here?" Cid lamented as he jumped off the ladder. Dust flew upwards as his feet hit the ground. Red glanced back at him. 

"You've asked me that a hundred times Cid. And for the hundredth time, I'm not sure" Red said. He paused a moment then turned and walked towards Bone Village. Cid shook his head, then pulled out a cigarette. He jogged up to Red then slowed to a walk, placing the cigarette in his mouth. 

"Even so, I betcha Cloud and Tifa could handle him" Cid nodded, lighting his cigarette. Red swung his tail in the air, his eyes drifting around. 

"Perhaps. But Cloud could not defeat him alone before" Red remarked as they reached the outskirts of the town. Cid shook his arm in the air. 

"Yeah, but he was unprepared. Plus Tifa will be there this time" Cid said. Red stopped and looked up at him. 

"You assume the boy got here already, it would seem" Red stated matter-of-factly. Cid slowed to a stop a few steps ahead of Red. He let out a deep hit from his cigarette. A smoke screen covered his face. 

"I hope they already fought him Red" Cid muttered, then began to walk again. Red nodded as a sigh emerged from him, then he followed behind him. 

* * *

"Father...!" Phoenix called out, seeing a figure in the distance. The figure slowed as the name must have hit them, then began to march onward. Phoenix smirked as he ran forward. 

"Father...! Where are you going?" Phoenix screamed as he rushed through the snow, trying to reach the figure. He tripped and fell onto the ground. He pushed himself up, shaking his head. He sprinted again into the blinding blizzard. As he approached the mountains, less snow fell on him. Again, in the distance he saw his father. He ran as fast as he could. 

"Father...wait for me...!" Phoenix called out, his arms pumping at his sides. Sephiroth kept marching forward, not even throwing a look back at the boy. As he turned a corner near the mountain, he slammed his fist into the mountain. A small avalanche occurred as a few feet of snow slide down the hill, forming a huge mound of snow as well as a roadblock. He marched onward, the city of Icicle Inn within his line of sight. He stalled when he heard a small explosion from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder as the mound of snow exploded upwards as the boy came running through the snow cloud. 

"Wait...Father..." Phoenix called out once again. He ran through the snow blindly, barely able to make out the figure ahead of him. The figure seemed to be moving his arms a bit as Phoenix grew closer. Phoenix grew confused, but suddenly that confusion left him. A sharp pain entered his chest as he halted to a stop. Gasping, Phoenix looked down. His stomach had been pierced by the Masamune. Phoenix placed his hands on the blade and pulled a bit, unable to move. 

"Fa...fa....father..." Phoenix gasped, his black shirt turning a crimson color. Phoenix's mis-matched eyes went wide as he fought for breathe. Sephiroth glared at the boy intensely. 

"I have no son. You must have failed to realize that. I do not have a son, nor do I want one! I am the greatest Soldier who ever lived. I am Jenova's offspring. You...you are a pissant science experiment. I bet Hojo made you for kicks. I do not care why you exist. I never wanted a son! Hence, you will never be my son!" Sephiroth screamed. Phoenix's eyes glossed over in a mixture of mental and physical pain. 

"Father...I brought...brought you....life..." Phoenix said as his eyes began to water. Sephiroth made a fist with his left hand, then rabbit-punched him right in the face. The fist hit Phoenix right in the right eye, knocking him off the sword due to force. Phoenix slammed into the ground, his blue eye swelling shut at once. 

"I'm not sure if your my real genetic son or some clever fake. I do not care either. I will kill this whole world boy, and I guess you are my first victim. It's a shame...you could give life to any number of people. You were gullible...to think I would spare you is nonsense. Whatever bullshit Hojo or whoever feed you is just that. I do not have a son. I do not want a son" Sephiroth spat, glaring down at the boy. Phoenix reached up weakly with his hand. Sephiroth watched the hand near his leg, then slapped it back down. 

"Never...never will you be my offspring" Sephiroth stated, turning and walking into the blizzard. Phoenix kept his arm in the air, reaching. 

"Father...father..." he called out, his arm shaking wildly. His arm then slammed down into the ground, sending a dusting of snow into the air. He laid there as the once white snow turned bright red. His green eye remained open, cast in confusion. 

* * *

Cloud's eyes fluttered open again. He groaned lightly as he pushed himself up to his hands and knees. He finished standing up, then stretched his tired body out. As he stretched, he caught sight of Tifa, still laying on the ground. Her once white shirt was now coated in blood. Cloud reached down and rubbed the wound. He opened the shirt up a bit, dry blood covering her back. Cloud scrapped the blood off with his hands, sending the dry chips into the air. But once he cleared it away, Cloud grew even more confused. Blinking, Cloud gently grabbed Tifa's shoulder and turned her over so she faced up. 

"Tifa..Tifa...snap too!" Cloud screamed as he began to shake her. Her eyes jolted open as she looked up at him. 

"Cloud, stop-stop. What's...are you ok?" Tifa exclaimed as her brain flooded with the recent memories. Cloud nodded as he let her go, sitting her down. Cloud turned his back to her. 

"How do I look?" Cloud asked calmly. Tifa gulped as she began to peel the dried blood off his back. Her face grew concerned as blood fluttered in the air. Then, she smiled brightly. 

"How did you heal us? I mean, your back looks perfectly fine...except for a very thin line up and down your back where he must have cut you...how did you do this?" Tifa asked as Cloud spun back around to face her again. He folded his arms over his chest. 

"I didn't do this..I know who did though!" Cloud said with a touch of hope in his voice. Tifa blinked a few times as she stood up, then smiled softly. 

"Did Red and Cid get here?" Tifa asked as she looked around. Cloud shook his head. 

"Not them" Cloud remarked. Tifa made a face and smiled a little more. 

"Ok then, who did?" Tifa asked. Cloud stood up and put his hands on her shoulders, gripping them lightly. 

"Aeris did" Cloud stated. Tifa's eyes went wide, then she laughed a bit. She looked off to her left, then to her right. 

"Funny Cloud...really, where did Red and Cid go?" Tifa asked. Cloud gripped her shoulders tighter as she looked back at him. His face was set in stone. 

"Aeris did. She was here. I saw her" Cloud replied. Tifa's smile faded away and turned upside down. 

"Cloud...don't do this to yourself...to us. Aeris is dead" Tifa remarked. Cloud spun away and looked towards the alter. 

"And so was Sephiroth and he came back...!" Cloud replied frantically. Tifa held her hands over heavy heart, letting out a deep sigh. 

"Cloud...why would that boy bring Aeris back? I mean...hope and all that, but still Cloud...!" Tifa stated, her heart pounding so hard her hands felt it. Cloud spun around again, facing her once more. His face was covered in desperation. 

"I swear Tifa! I saw her! She must have healed us...who else could have? It only makes sense that she did!" Cloud exclaimed, once again grabbing her shoulders. Tifa's eyes flooded out sadness. 

"I wish it was...but Cloud, why would she leave? I mean, even if the illogical happened again and it was Aeris...why would she leave?" Tifa asked as small tear-ducts flowed down her face. Cloud's eyes blinked and when they re-opened the happiness faded away. 

"I...I..maybe she...it can't be a dream! Can it?" Cloud asked Tifa, his own eyes welling up. Tifa shook her head, then looked over his shoulder at the machine. 

"It's possible...maybe, I'm not sure...but Cloud, I don't think so. Logically...the only person who operated that machine was that boy. And why on Earth would he bring Aeris back... I mean, he claims his father is Sephiroth!" Tifa stated, her own face masked in a world of emotions. Cloud nodded, then took a hand off her left shoulder and cleaned the tears off his face. 

"I just...I wanna tell her..." Cloud began, but Tifa put a finger to his lips. 

"So much...we all do. Now is not the time...we need to go stop Sephiroth and Phoenix now. We all wanna see her Cloud, and she wants to see us to I bet...but Aeris would never ask us to bring her back to life when the world could be in danger..." Tifa stated, looking into his eyes. She could tell the thoughts were mixing into his brain. Slowly, Cloud nodded and looked back at the machine. 

"Can you imagine what a person could do with that machine...?" Cloud muttered. Tifa looked at the machine herself, then down at the ground. She openly cried now, her tears over-flowing the ducts. 

"I do..but it's not right! Cloud, people die...! We need to leave them dead...!" Tifa screamed, throwing herself on him. Cloud closed his eyes tightly. 

"You're right...after we defeat Sephiroth, we're coming back here...and we're going to destroy it" Cloud remarked. Tifa pushed back from him and looked up at him. 

"No one...?" Tifa forced out as she could barely make Cloud out through all the tears. Cloud looked down. 

"No one..." he stated slowly. Tifa wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest. Cloud put his arms around her and rested his head on hers gently. 

* * *

"You guys are lying" Yuffie said as she crossed her arms over her chest. Reeve looked over at Barret, who shrugged his massive shoulders. 

"Yuffie, why would we lie about this?" Barret asked. Yuffie thought for a moment, looking at the ceiling. She looked back down at Barret with narrow eyes. 

"You're just trying to play a joke on me!" Yuffie stated. Barret rolled his eyes and turned to his side. Reeve sighed. 

"Yuffie, we are dead-serious. This is not the time to play a joke on someone. Here, look at this" Reeve spat out as he shoved a piece of paper into her crossed arms. She unfolded her arms then looked at the paper. She read over it a few times. When she finished, she peeked over the top of the paper and looked at Reeve and then at Barret. 

"So, no joke..." Yuffie mumbled softly. Barret turned back to her, his arms in the air. 

"We told you we're not joking!" Barret roared. Yuffie's eyes disappeared behind the paper again as Reeve rubbed his head. 

* * *

"Hopefully they'll be here soon" Tifa said as she walked off the last stair leading down to the alter. Cloud stopped as he reached the last step. He turned and looked back down at the area below, then took the final step up. 

"I do too...we got a lot of work ahead of us" Cloud remarked. Then, in the distance they heard someone calling for them. Tifa and Cloud looked at each other. 

"I guess they got here" Tifa and Cloud said at the same time. They both blinked and turned to each other. 

"Jinx!" They both screamed, pointing towards the other.Despite themselves, they chuckled. When the finished, Cloud shook his head towards the door as they walked out into the main alleyway around the city. 

"Over here guys" Cloud called out as they exited the building. After a few moments, Cid and Red appeared in the distance. As they grew closer, Red and Cid both broke into a sprint towards them. 

"Are you two ok? Did you run into that boy?" Red questioned. Cid spit out his cigarette as he grew nearer. 

"Did you kick his punk-ass?" Cid screamed as they reached them. Cloud turned towards Tifa, then looked back at them. 

"We're fine. Battered but not broken. However, things have gotten more complicated..." Cloud stated softly. 

* * *

Phoenix opened his green eye slowly. He looked down at his body. A light dusting off snow had fallen on him. Around his stomach, the normally white now was still beat red. He grimaced as he leaned up. 

"Not able...to heal..." he stammered out, then fell back down. He closed his eyes tightly as he moved his hands onto the wound. 

"Father...I failed you...I'm sorry" Phoenix spit out. A few moments of silence passed until he heard someone running. 

"Oh my goodness" came a female's voice. Phoenix's left eye flung open again. Through the blizzard snow came a figure. He tried to squirm away, but his body was too weak. Soon the figure stood above him. 

"You look terrible...!" she cried out as she fell to her knees beside him. She gently took his hands into her own. She looked at his face. 

"Don't worry...I'm going to try to help..." she stated as she closed her eyes. Phoenix watched her from his un-swollen eye as the young lady was bathed in a green light. Phoenix opened his mouth to speak, but no words came to mind. He looked down at his stomach, watching the blood-stained snow just sitting there. The lady let go of his hands then gently flicked the snow off his stomach. 

"I closed the wound...you didn't have much internal damage, which is odd. He must have barely missed you" she remarked as she looked at the hole. 

"Who...are....how...?" Phoenix asked, gasping for breathe. She quickly looked back at him, her long brown hair wisping through the air. 

"I'm Aeris...I think so. I'm suppose to be...well, not here anyways. I can heal you because I'm a Cetra" she said calmly, looking at him. Phoenix leaned up a bit, holding himself up on his arms. He was still weak, though, and fell onto his back again. 

"I see...I need to go..." he began as he once again tried to push up again, but Aeris slide her arms under his back. 

"Don't...don't try to push up now. You're extremely weak now...what happened to you?" She asked as her two green eyes meet his one. The boy closed his eye tightly as he tried to push up once again. Aeris gently put him down and pressed on his shoulders. She looked at him as he finally opened his mouth. 

"Sephiroth...sword..." Phoenix got out, but Aeris put a finger up to her lips. 

"Don't force it...it looks like he did the same to my friends too..." Aeris stated before drifting off, looking away from the boy. Phoenix quit fighting to get up and just let himself drop to the ground. 

"Yes.." He forced out. Suddenly, they both heard a surge of screams coming from the nearby town. Aeris looked that way and then down at the boy. 

"Is that the way he went?" She asked. Phoenix looked down at his chest a moment before looking up and nodding. 

"I'm sorry...! I need to go see what is going on there! I'll come back or I'll send help! I promise!" Aeris screamed as she jumped up and went running into the blizzard. Soon she disappeared, much like his father had. Phoenix waited a moment. As he felt his strength returning he leaned up and rolled onto his belly. He glanced at the way she had gone. 

"Father...Aeris, don't go fight Father..!" Phoenix screamed from his position. 

* * *

"You're bullshitting us!" Cid screamed as he flung his arms out to the sides. Cloud took a deep breathe as he leaned on the building, looking up at Cid. 

"I'd lie about something at a time like this?" Cloud snidely remarked, his eyes firing up. He pushed off the building and took a step towards Cid, but Tifa grabbed his arm gently and pulled herself off the building as well. 

"Cid, Red...we're being serious. Sephiroth is back" Tifa responded, talking up for the first time since the others had arrived. Red narrowed his eyes a touch as he looked up at them. 

"I doubt you both would dream the same thing. But this is hard for us to grasp. You're saying you saw a dead man; a man we helped kill; return" Red said, his eyes focusing on Tifa's. Tifa put a hand on her forehead, gently rubbing her temple. 

"We showed you our backs; we told you about device..." Tifa began, but Cid started coughing. Everyone turned to Cid as he kept coughing. He bent over and coughed downwards until finally let loose a wad of gum. 

"Damn gum...doesn't mix with cigarette's" Cid lamented as he leaned back up. He looked around and saw that they were all giving him a strange look. 

"What?" Cid demanded, his arms at his sides again. Tifa rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. 

"We need to stop wasting time guys. We need to figure out what Sephiroth and Phoenix are up to" Tifa gently twisted her head around, sending her hair flipping around until it fell upon her back. Cloud gently pulled his sword out and held it tightly in one hand. 

"We need to plan more than that. Plus, we all know where Sephiroth is heading. I mean, he'd go right back to the North Crater, wouldn't he?" Cloud asked to the group. 

"That seems very logical Cloud, but Sephiroth is a smart being. Would he do something so predictable?" Red smartly pointed out. Cloud put his head on his hand, thinking. Cid let out a smoke cloud from his mouth, but that is all that came. Tifa looked at Cid before looking at Cloud. Finally, she stopped on Red. 

"He's still strong but not...not like he was. He looked human" Tifa noted. Red nodded as Cloud snapped his fingers. Everyone looked at him. Tifa tilted her head. 

"Well?" Tifa asked impatiently. Cloud walked past them and turned around. 

"He's got to be heading for North Crater. Red and Cid would have seen him if he was going to Bone Village. But to get to the North Crater, he's going to need to go through Icicle Inn. Remember how bad those mountains are thanks to Meteor? He's in for a long hike. If we get going know...we'll be able to catch up. So let's roll!" Cloud screamed as he went running. Red followed behind. Tifa began to run, but noticed Cid had not moved. Tifa stopped and looked at him. 

"Cid, what's wrong?" Tifa asked with a touch of concern. Cid spit out his cigarette. 

"Spikey said something logical then gave a decent charge command. I'm shocked" Cid pulled out a new cigarette as he began to run. Tifa chuckled a bit as she followed behind him. 

* * *

"Very interesting" Sephiroth muttered as the video ended. He stood their in the house, glancing up at where the video had been. Until he found the video player, he had found little use of anything in this town; just a few pieces of weak materia and some threats. He replayed the video, watching the Cetra woman talk about Jenova and Weapon. 

"Very interesting...new information to behold..." Sephiroth muttered again. He heard the door open to the house behind him. He looked over his shoulder, but seeing who it was he spun around. 

"Cetra!" he hissed between his teeth. Aeris stood in the doorway, glaring down at him. 

"Jenova" Aeris replied. Sephiroth calmly pulled his sword out. 

"I guess I will have to kill you again" Sephiroth responded as he began to stalk towards her. 

"You attack a woman..a woman with no weapon" Aeris replied as Sephiroth drew closer. Sephiroth stopped a few feet away, the sword clenched tightly in one hand. 

"Who...why are you back?" Sephiroth asked, tilting his head a bit. Aeris took a deep breathe as she took a step out of the house. 

"I saw what you did to my friends..."Aeris responded. Sephiroth took two steps forward, the sword motionless at his side. 

"I owed them for stopping me before...much like I owe you for calling upon Holy" Sephiroth hissed at her. Aeris' eye widened as she took another step back out into the cold winter weather. 

"I've been dead awhile then...now I remember..." Aeris whispered to herself. Sephiroth lifted the sword into his fighting stance as he took another step towards her. 

"You're too dangerous to keep around. You know too much. You knew how to stop Meteor the first time..." Sephiroth began, but Aeris' smiled softly. 

"Yeah, shame that failed. That materia is just worthless....dust...now..."Aeris trailed off as her smile faded, realizing what she had just said. Sephiroth dropped out of his fighting stance and glared at her. Then, he leaned back and laughed. 

"I can't believe it...! I would have wasted months looking for the Black Materia...! But you told me it's as good as gone now!" Sephiroth laughed, his hair dancing wildly as his body shook. Aeris took another step back, pressing her feet hard into the snow. 

"That means you can't kill the whole planet" Aeris said as her smiled returned slightly. Sephiroth returned to his fighting stance as he held the sword tightly. 

"There are always more than one way to achieve something. Much like killing you; I could do it a hundred ways. However, I still prefer the way I did it the first time!" Sephiroth screamed as he leapt into the air. 

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

Chapter 7 

* * *

"Hold it!" Cid screamed as they neared the exit to the city. Cloud halted quickly as Red ran past him, slowly stopping on the hill. Tifa spun around quickly, facing Cid. 

"What's going on?" Tifa spoke out. Cid pulled his cigarette out and let out a dark cloud of smoke. 

"It's a huge area from here to the North Crater. Even if we split into two groups, we'd never be able to cover it well..." Cid trailed off as he put the cigarette back into his mouth. Cloud nodded his head. 

"Good point Cid. You go back and use the Highwind to fly recon over the area...how will you contact us though?" Cloud questioned. Without hesitation, Cid pulled out a small hand-held device. He tossed it to Cloud. 

"PHS. I found it on the ship" Cid remarked. Cloud nodded and put it into his pocket. 

"Roger that. We'll contact you if we find anything" Cloud replied. Cid waved his hand quickly then turned and sprinted away. Cloud looked over at Tifa then back at Red. Red shook his head as his tail flapped around. 

"I never thought his nerves would give" Red mumbled sadly, looking down at the ground. Tifa sighed softly and looked at Red. 

"He fought the kid outside of Wutai. I don't think he's as much afraid of them as he is of...well, getting old" Tifa remarked. Cloud started walking again, passing Red up. Red and Tifa watched him go then began to walk after him. 

"He's got a point, regardless of his reasons..we could use someone in the sky" Cloud remarked as he made his way up the hill. 

* * *

Sephiroth landed on the ground hard, snow flying up into the air. He smirked as he lifted the sword back up. 

"Cetra, you can run but I will find you" he said as he watched Aeris running off into the blizzard. Sephiroth stalked after her as he walked towards the edge of the city. 

"Where you going to run to?" He called out. Ahead of him, he saw Aeris' arms fly into the air as she fell down face-first into the snow. He smirked as he marched onward. The moment Aeris turned over, Sephiroth put the sword on her chest. Aeris gasped as her eyes went wide. 

"Any last words?" Sephiroth muttered as he pressed the sword into her chest. Aeris' spit at him suddenly. 

"You'll lose. Just like last time" Aeris spat out. Sephiroth glared at her. 

"And just like last time, I will end your life" Sephiroth hissed. Then suddenly, Sephiroth went backwards into the air. Aeris blinked as the Sephiroth's shoulders and head slammed into the ground. Aeris scrambled to her feet and looked over to see the boy, standing up Sephiroth up from behind. His arms were locked around Sephiroth's waist. As soon as Sephiroth was on his feet, the boy lunged him over his head again, still holding onto his waist. Phoenix picked them both back up and flipped Sephiroth over his head one more time, but let go as Sephiroth was over the top, sending him onto his head again. Phoenix got to his feet, looking over at Sephiroth. 

"Useless, am I Father?" Phoenix spat as his body swayed. Aeris gulped as she watched. 

"Father...? Did you call him father?" Aeris gasped, looking with wide eyes. Phoenix turned around and looked at her. 

"You sound surprised" Phoenix questioned. Aeris blinked, but then pointed behind him. 

"Watch out!" she screamed. Phoenix spun around as Sephiroth ran at him, slicing the sword downward. Phoenix rolled to the side as the sword hit the snow. Phoenix looked up as Sephiroth glared at him. 

"Boys should never attack their fathers" Sephiroth hissed. Phoenix's eyes focused on Sephiroth's. 

"But...but..." Phoenix began. Sephiroth smirked then kicked snow into the air. It settled on Phoenix's eyes which forced him to shut his eyes. Sephiroth sneered as his foot meet Phoenix's face, knocking the boy skidding across the snow. Phoenix rolled onto his feet as Sephiroth turned towards him. Sephiroth slashed his sword downward towards Phoenix who countered by back-flipping, the sword narrowly missing him. Sephiroth stopped his swung when he realized he missed and spun around, swinging the sword horizonalty towards Phoenix. Phoenix's eyes went wide but then he cart-wheeled the opposite way of the sword swing. Sephiroth glared as he looked at the boy from the corner of his eye. 

"You're agile" Sephiroth hissed out of the corner of his mouth. Phoenix took a few deep breathes. 

"What have I done...to disrespect you father?" Phoenix asked, gazing at Sephiroth. Sephiroth turned and faced him. 

"Your existence shames me" Sephiroth spat out. Phoenix crouched down and put his hands up in a fighting stance while his father got into his own fighting stance. 

"I am your father, boy. You shall not defeat me" Sephiroth remarked calmly, his eyes glaring into his sons. 

"I will not die without a fight" Phoenix replied coldly. The snow fell around them, casting a haze of whiteness. 

* * *

"Cloud....Tifa...I've noticed a few things" Red spoke, craning his neck to look at them. Cloud nodded. 

"Go ahead Red, what do you got?" Cloud asked. Red nodded and walked over under a cliff . Tifa shivered a bit as she followed behind. 

"Why we leaving the trail...?" Tifa asked as she pulled her hands up to her mouth and breathed hot breathe onto them. 

"This may take a moment, so let us not freeze in that wind out there" Red replied, shaking his head a bit to knock the snow out. Cloud crossed his arms and held them tightly to his chest as Tifa kept breathing on her hands. Red sat down onto the soft snow. 

"We were wrong. There are three pairs of footprints, not two" Red stated as his tail wagged in the snow, cleaning it away. Cloud blinked. 

"But...I mean, ok, go ahead" Cloud said, looking confused. Red smirked a bit. 

"It appears to be two. Looking closer when we neared the cliffs, however, I noticed that within one set of prints is another...a smaller pair of footprints" Red remarked. Cloud's eyes went wide as he turned to Tifa. 

"I told you I was right! I told you she came back!" Cloud shouted with glee. Red took a deep breathe as Tifa dropped her hands from her mouth and crossed them. 

"Cloud...please, don't get our hopes up..." Tifa stomped her foot, looking at Cloud. Red looked at them both. 

"You two think...?" Red began while Tifa shook her head and Cloud nodded. 

"It's possible, but it just does not add up" Tifa responded before Cloud. Cloud turned and looked at her oddly. 

"Three steps of footprints with one set smaller? I think that adds up just fine" Cloud said harshly. Red looked at the both of them. 

"Well, we have a device which brings people back from the dead. And a person who knows how to use it. It's not entirely impossible for her to be back" Red stated. Tifa threw her arms up in the air. 

"Why would Sephiroth's son bring back Aeris?" Tifa lamented. Red looked at Cloud and sighed. 

"That does seem odd" Red noted as he looked up at Cloud with questioning eyes. Cloud just huffed and turned away from them both. Red looked at Tifa's back then at Cloud's back, then sighed once more. 

"Some days you just cannot win" He said sadly. 

* * *

"Coward!" Sephiroth called out as Phoenix back-flipped into the city. Phoenix landed and put his hands over his head. Sephiroth walked into the city, standing ten feet away from him. The boy stared at him, his body still. Sephiroth squinted at him. 

"What are you doing boy? Do you plan to use some Materia on me? You are far to weak" Sephiroth stated. The boy kept glaring forward, his body un-moving. Sephiroth chuckled a bit then began to march forward. Sephiroth stopped when he saw the silver energy swirling around his hands. 

"What are you going..." Sephiroth began, but Phoenix flung his hands forward. 

"Masenko!" He screamed, sending the silver beam forward. Sephiroth jumped to the side as the blast went flying past into the blizzard. Sephiroth watched the blast go flying into the winter snow-screen. His eyes bugged out as he watched it. 

"Perhaps you are not useless" Sephiroth stated as he stood up. Phoenix took a deep breathe as his tattered clothes flapped in the breeze. 

"I'm not...useless?" Phoenix asked as a small smile formed on his face. Sephiroth grinned and nodded. 

"No...but to prove yourself even more, go find that Cetra and bring her to me. I lost track of her when we began to fight" Sephiroth began but before he could finish the boy went running from their original area of fighting. 

"I'll find her father" he said in passing. Sephiroth sneered as the boy went running into the blizzard. 

"A fool...he has uses though...now, to find a way out of this town" Sephiroth stated as he began to walk around. He walked from one end of the small town to the other, looking around. All he saw was empty houses from his appearance and snow. 

"They all must be hermits; never going anywhere but this town" Sephiroth hissed as he looked for any way out of the area. 

"No cars, no trucks...nothing of use" Sephiroth stated until he turned a corner around the last building to the north. He chuckled softly as he walked over to the Shinra helicopter which sat there. 

"This shall do" He remarked as he climbed aboard. 

* * *

"This was stupid...!" Aeris screamed to herself as she trudged through the snow. She stopped and looked around, her body shaking wildly. 

"What was I thinking? There's a blizzard, Sephiroth and his kid are running around, the others are laying in the City...well, that explains why I left...I'm so confused!" Aeris screamed. 

"Come with us...you belong with us" Phoenix screamed from behind her. Aeris turned around and faced that direction. 

"Who are you? Really?" Aeris shouted at the figure. Phoenix walked up to her, his own arms crossed. 

"I'm Phoenix...son of Sephiroth, and..." Phoenix began but Aeris put her hand on his face. 

"No, who are you really? I mean, why are you out here? What is going on?" She demanded as she pulled her hand back. 

"Father and yourself where dead. I revived you both" Phoenix stated as he gazed into her eyes. Aeris blinked as she saw the eyes for the first time. 

"You've got two different colored eyes" Aeris said softly. Then, what he just said hit her. She felt her heart pounding harder. She fell to her knees, looking at the ground. Phoenix walked behind her. 

"Father wants us to come back to town..." Phoenix said as he bent down and put his arms around her waist. Aeris jumped to her feet and spun around to face him. 

"Why did you bring me back? And for that matter, him?" Aeris demanded once more. Phoenix straightened out. 

"This is not the time or the place to answer these questions...please just come with me" He spoke out softly, his eyes locking onto her. Aeris closed her eyes as a soft green glow covered her. She fell onto the snow gently. Phoenix took a step forward, but saw his father behind her. He bent down and lifted her head out of the snow. 

"What did you do to her?" Phoenix asked, glaring up at his father. Sephiroth chuckled a bit, 

"I used Sleep Materia on her; we need to get going now. The storm is going to clear up but I am not sure how long it will last. Grab the Cetra and follow me" Sephiroth commanded. Phoenix gently picked her up. 

"Where are we going Father?" Phoenix asked as he walked behind him, carrying Aeris. Sephiroth smirked. 

"We're going to the place where the secrets of our race" Sephiroth walked into the blizzard, laughing maniacally. Phoenix stopped a moment, looking down at Aeris. He then looked back up and followed behind Sephiroth. 

* * *

"Icicle Inn is just a short distance from here" Red called out as he ran hard. His body was moving fast enough to keep most of the snow off of him. Cloud grinned as he pumped his legs hard. 

"Hopefully someone has seen Sephiroth" Cloud remarked as he jogged just behind Red; his spikey hair-cut attaching like a magnet for small snowflakes.. Tifa followed behind with her arms pumping at her sides like pistons. 

"What happens if Sephiroth is in the town?" Tifa asked between breathes.. Cloud seemed to run harder when the question echoed into his ears. 

"That means we'll get to kill him now then; won't waste our time searching for him!" Cloud screamed out. Tifa smirked as she blew her hair out of her face. 

"That's the spirit" Tifa sprang her feet a little harder now, keeping up with them. 

* * *

"Sir..." Cid heard. He looked up from the steel of the Highwind and glanced over at the captain of the Highwind. He snapped to attention when he looked over. 

"Yes Captain?" Cid responded. The Captain grinned. 

"We can see now see. We can take off" The Captain answered. Cid leaned up and smacked him on the shoulder. 

"That's great news! Get the Highwind in the air now!" Cid smirked as he pulled out a new cigarette. He turned and leaned against the deck of the Highwind. He pulled out his lighter and lit the cigarette, then let out a long drag of smoke. 

"Let's rock and roll gentlemen!" Cid called out as the Highwind took flight. 

* * *

"Throw her in the back" Sephiroth stated as he climbed aboard the helicopter. Phoenix gently climbed in, still carrying Aeris. He laid her gently down along the backseat. Sephiroth looked over at him. 

"Throw her" Sephiroth commanded. Phoenix gave Sephiroth a confused look as he sat back down. 

"Why do you..." Phoenix began to ask but Sephiroth just held his hand up. Phoenix just sighed and turned forward. Sephiroth's fingers marched over the controls as the helicopter's blades began to spin. Phoenix leaned forward and looked up. 

"Hey Father, what are we going to do?" Phoenix asked quickly as he beamed over at Sephiroth. Sephiroth ignored him; his hands still commanding the controls. Phoenix looked over his shoulder at Aeris. Her sleeping body moved slightly when she breathed. Phoenix smiled softly as he turned back around and faced forward. He tapped his fingers on the dashboard. 

"Will you cease doing that?" Sephiroth hissed. Phoenix stopped tapping and leaned back. Before long he was tapping his fingers together. He spun towards his father once more. 

"Is this what..." Phoenix began, but Sephiroth reached over and grabbed his shirt and flung him back into his seat. Sephiroth held the shirt with one hand, pulling the boy close to his face. 

"You are annoying me! How can I fly if you insist on babbling. Quiet up" Sephiroth hissed, pushing him away. Phoenix slammed into the metal structure of the helicopter. He winced as he leaned up from it and sat in his seat quietly. 

* * *

""Where is everyone?" Tifa asked as she walked into the city. Cloud looked around. 

"Gees, it's deserted here..." Cloud remarked as he slowly looked around. Red sat back on the ground. His tail wagged in the snow, clearing it away like a brush. 

"Do you hear that? Sounds like a large machine" Red noted. Suddenly, the helicopter flew into the air. It hovered in the air. Cloud quickly pulled his sword out. 

"Get down here and fight Sephiroth!" Cloud screamed into the roar of the helicopter. The copter flew right over them and southward. Cloud slammed his sword into the ground as he watched it flying away. 

"Get back here!" Cloud screamed. Tifa gulped as she watched it fly away. 

"It looks like he's got his son with him" Tifa said through clenched teeth. Cloud pulled out the PHS quickly. 

"Cid...Cid, do you copy" Cloud screamed into it. The phone buzzed for a moment. 

"Loud and clear Spikey. What's the scope?" Cid replied. Cloud swatted some sweat from his brow with his free hand as he held the phone back up to his mouth. 

"Sephiroth just left the continent in a helicopter. Looked like an old Shinra model. Think you can head it off?" Cloud asked as he tapped his foot. The phone buzzed calmly. 

"That's a negative Cloud. Their are damn storms brewing up here. Plus the Highwind is going to need refueling soon. We need to come and pick you up. Then we need to head to Rocket Town" Cid replied. Cloud's face filled with even more anger. 

"Damnit Cid...fine! We're in Icicle Inn" Cloud screamed, his fist about to crush the phone. 

"We'll be there in a few moments" Cid replied. Cloud turned the PHS off and threw it to the ground. 

"We're going to lose them!" Cloud screamed. Tifa crossed her arms and tapped her foot. 

"Look Cloud, nothing we can do about it now. If a big storm is coming again, we better get out now or we could get stuck here" Tifa remarked. Cloud just threw his arms into the air. 

"This is just great!" he screamed. Tifa sighed and looked away. When she did, she saw that Red had a puzzled look on his face. Tifa spun on her heel and looked at him. 

"What's the trouble?" Tifa asked him quickly. Red blinked as if in a trance, then shook his head. Snowflakes fell from his fur. 

"Nothing much Tifa...it's a shock to see Sephiroth again...and really, that boy for the first time" Red stated. Tifa took a step back in surprise. 

"That's right; you hadn't seen him yet" Tifa sighed a bit and rubbed her head. Red chuckled softly. 

"It was odd to see him sitting next to Sephiroth. Very much in common" Red scratched behind his head, knocking more snow off. Tifa nodded as she looked over at Cloud. 

"It was creepy fighting that kid...but now, it's even worse. How can we stop Sephiroth and his son? I mean, we know the kid can handle himself...and Sephiroth is a legend for a reason" She added with a touch of nervousness. Red chuckled softly. 

"Sephiroth has just come back from the dead. And furthermore seems to lack a lot of his Jenova power now. I do not think it will be impossible" Red added as he finally stopped scratching. Tifa made a face as she looked at Cloud. 

"You know, he seemed to change as we walked here. He don't even seem afraid now" Tifa rubbed her arms, trying to knock the coldness from them. Red glanced over at Cloud and watched him. 

"He truly thinks Aeris is back, that's why...be glad he does not want us to go looking for her" Red said while he laid down on the ground. Tifa shifted her view from Cloud to Red. 

"You don't want her back?" Tifa said quickly, the words almost tumbling in her mouth. Red sighed. 

"It's not that but now is not the time. We need to stop those two before we worry about someone who may be alive" Red rested his head on his out-stretched legs while still looking at Cloud. 

"Good point" Tifa replied as she kept rubbing her arms. Red looked up at her and smirked. 

"I bet you wish you had fur now" Red chimed in before laying his head back down. Tifa's eyes went wide and turned to him. She put her foot in some snow and kicked it in his direction. 

"You don't need to remind me!" She huffed, turning from him while she crossed her arms. 

* * *

"Where are we going Father?" Phoenix asked as he looked out the side of the helicopter. Sephiroth glared over at him a moment before returning to piloting. Phoenix did a complete 180 and looked at Sephiroth. 

"Well, where are we going?" Phoenix asked again, his eyes shining. Sephiroth clenched the controls a touch harder. 

"Nibelheim" Sephiroth forced out through his clenched teeth. Phoenix turned away from Sephiroth with a small smile on his face. He looked forward for a few moments before he turned to Sephiroth once again. 

"What's at Nibelheim?" Phoenix asked again, his eyes shining a shade brighter this time. Sephiroth clenched the control even harder; the felt pads on them squeezing through his fingers. 

"We need to" Sephiroth hissed, his eyes locked forward. He refused to even give his son a look. Phoenix lined and then turned forward again. He sat still for a moment, then began to tap his fingers on the dashboard. He tapped in rhythm with the sounds of the helicopter's wings. Sephiroth clenched the controls even harder causing the felt to begin to tear in his hands. Phoenix spun his head over to his father once again. 

"Why do we need to?" Phoenix asked quickly. Sephiroth turned and grabbed his shirt collar. 

"What will you do next, ask me when are going to get there? Shut up and sit there quietly so I can pilot! You pathetic excuse for a Jenova!" Sephiroth screamed at him. He turned forward and began to fly again. The glow in Phoenix's eyes washed away as he leaned back in the chair. He looked over at Sephiroth and went to speak, but stopped. He stared at his father for a few moments, then looked forward again. Minutes passed before Phoenix dared to move. When he did, he looked back out the side. Below he saw that the ocean was quickly becoming land. He turned towards Sephiroth with his mouth open, but closed it before any words dared out. He turned away from Sephiroth again and looked down at the ocean's waves crashing about. 

"I keep messing up...must not make mistakes" Phoenix mumbled under his breathe. He watched the ocean become land in silence. 

* * *

"Let's go, go, go!" Cloud screamed as he ran onto towards the flight deck. Tifa jogged behind him while Red casually strolled on behind them 

"Cloud, it's not like we need to pilot the ship!" Tifa called out. She stopped as he ran quickly onto the flight deck. She tapped her foot, looking at the doorway. Red stopped next to her and looked up. 

"Why are you waiting here?" Red inquired. Tifa smirked as she kept looking forward. 

"Cloud can hide a lot. But he cannot hide his motion sickness. He never has and he never will" She added as she tapped her foot slowly, waiting. 

"That's very un-like you Tifa. I've never seen you wish harm onto Cloud" Red remarked. Tifa giggled softly despite trying to hide it. 

"That's not true Red. I don't want him to get hurt. I just want him to calm down for a few moments" Tifa stated, her body shaking as she tried to contain her giggles. Red chuckled when he saw her fighting the laughter so hard. 

"Tifa, do you think he still gets that sick?" Red asked. Before Tifa could answer, Cloud came running down from the flight deck, right past them. They both watched him running towards the bathroom. As soon as the door slammed, they looked at each other. 

"Yes I do Red. Yes I do" She said as she let the giggled explode from her. Red added his own chuckles. Red rolled onto his back still laughing while Tifa fell to her knees. After a couple of minutes, Cloud re-emerged. He stalked towards them both with a tomato face. He stopped near them as they kept laughing. Both of them forced themselves to stop laughing as they gazed at him. 

"It's not that funny" Cloud huffed as he returned to the flight deck. As soon as he was gone they began to laugh again. 

* * *

"What are you doing to her?" Phoenix called out. He took a step towards the helicopter. Sephiroth turned and jumped from the helicopter. 

"She needed a nap" Sephiroth remarked as he walked past Phoenix. Phoenix turned and watched Sephiroth walking towards an old mansion. 

"Father, where are you going?" Phoenix called out as he jogged to catch up with Sephiroth. Sephiroth groaned as he walked. 

"We need to go into the Shinra Mansion. I need to research something" Sephiroth marched towards the house. Phoenix caught up with Sephiroth, walking a few paces behind him. 

"Do you need my help?" Phoenix asked as he looked around the town. Sephiroth rolled his eyes slightly. 

"No, but I suppose you can come with me. If I leave you up here you'll just cause trouble" Sephiroth remarked as he flung the door open to the Mansion. Sephiroth walked right up the staircase, remembering the way to the basement like his own name. Phoenix stopped when he entered the house, looking around. 

"Wow" Phoenix quipped as he took in the house. He saw the dust-covered furniture, the broken table in the room, the dirty stained glass, and the off-timed clock. Phoenix stopped looking around when he saw the Sephiroth disappear from his view. 

"Father, wait!" Phoenix called as he rushed up the wooden stairs. 

* * *

"I can't believe you guys!" Cloud screamed, slamming his head into the table. Tifa's eyes went wide a moment before returning to normal. She shook her head. 

"Cloud, we cannot take chances here! We had a hard enough time with that kid. Sephiroth is no push-over. We need all the help we can get" Tifa replied. Cloud lifted his head up and glared at her. 

"We can handle them. We're wasting time!" Cloud screamed. Tifa turned her body away from him. 

"On what Cloud?" Tifa crossed her arms tightly. Cloud slammed his fist in the ground. 

"Instead of doing nothing, we could be looking for Aeris!" Cloud remarked. Tifa spun away from him completely now, her eyes shutting tightly. 

"That's right Cloud. Let's go rushing into battle with our arch-enemies without all the help we can get. That way, someone else can end up in the hospital or worse...but let's go rushing so we can go look for someone who may not be alive!" Tifa screamed. She then stomped out of the room, not looking at him the entire way. She slammed the door shut when she left. Cloud watched her go. He then looked away when the door slammed, wincing. Cloud walked around to the head of the table, slumping down into the chair. He put his head down on the table sighing sadly. 

"Cloud, get up" Cid called out. Cloud lifted his head up. Cid stood near him, his cigarette in his mouth as usual. 

"I wasn't sleeping" Cloud remarked, looking at him. Cid nodded, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth. He let out a cloud into the air. 

"What's your damn malfunction Cloud? I'm all for wanting to fight and those two need killed. But why not get Barret at least, level the odds in our favor more?" Cid asked. Cloud put his head on his hand. 

"Cid...remember how we kept chasing Sephiroth before? How I kept passing up chances to fight him? And look what happened...Midgar got flattened, Aeris died...we don't need to repeat it again" Cloud spoke up, rubbing his face with his hand. Cid smashed his cigarette into the table, then threw it into the garbage. He pulled out a new one and offered it to Cloud. Cloud shook his head no causing Cid to push it back into the pack. 

"Look spikey, I understand you don't wanna a repeat of last time. But even I noticed you're hanging on Aeris a lot. Let's say she is back. That's great and all, but we still need to deal with Sephiroth and his punk-ass son. Tifa got a point; we don't need any more people in the hospital. It's getting costly" Cid remarked. Cloud's body shook as he looked up at him. 

"You're just too cheap for the hospital" Cloud remarked. Cid grinned as he smacked the pack of cigarettes of his chest. 

"Between ships and cigarettes, I don't got much free money" Cid stated, shoving the cigarettes into his pocket. Cloud chuckled as he leaned onto the back of the chair. 

"Let's go get Barret. It'll be good to hear you two curse at each other again in battle" Cloud put his hands behind his head, leaning back. 

"He's a damn soft-tongued bitch now" Cid said. Cloud smiled at Cid. 

"Thanks Cid; I needed a laugh" Cloud remarked. Cid rolled his eyes as he turned and walked towards the door. 

"Damn spikey! You don't need to say a god-damn thing! Next you're gonna hug me and tell me we better mosey to the flight deck" Cid said as he left the room, leaving it to Cloud and his laughter. 

* * *

"Someone's here" Vincent leaned up, knocking the lid of the casket off. He climbed out of his casket and grabbed the Death Penalty out from under the casket.Glancing around, Vincent began to stalk towards down the cavern..He crept down, holding the gun up, and stopped when he reached the doorway to the laboratory. His eye entered the site as he looked into the room. The shuffle of feet was there; that much was apparent. 

"What nightmare is this?" Vincent asked when he saw Sephiroth stroll into his site. His back was turned to Vincent; his face buried in a book. Vincent pulled his finger without delay. The gun blast shook the airwaves. Sephiroth spun around in time to watch a metal staff spinning through the air, blocking the bullet. Vincent leaned away from the eye-piece. Phoenix walked into his view. 

"We have company Father" Phoenix spoke, his eyes darkly locked onto Vincent. Vincent took a step back into the dark hallway. Sephiroth lifted his chin up as he stared at Vincent. 

"I heard rumors you were buried here as if you were a vampire. Boy, take care of this problem" Sephiroth stated, turning away from them both. He walked down the hallway, his nose buried deep in the book. 

"Father? You are that monster's son?" Vincent questioned. Phoenix clenched his fists. 

"I will not allow you to call my father that. Let the battle be joined" Phoenix hissed. Vincent held his gun up at the boy, but before he could even threaten a shot the boy cart-wheeled to the left, picking his staff in mid-wheel. He landed with the staff in front of him. Vincent narrowed his eyes. 

"I do not know the manner of your presence, but I do not need to. You shall never step in sun-light again" Vincent held the gun up and fired at the boy. Phoenix held his staff up thus letting the barrier block it. Vincent re-loaded and fired two more shots. Each shot meet the barrier and bounced harmlessly to the ground. Phoenix sprinted forward the moment the last bullet hit the ground, swing his staff at Vincent's head. Vincent ducked and slammed the butt of his gun into the boy's mid-section. Saliva flew into the ground as Phoenix fell onto his back. Vincent leaned down but before he could even think of an attack the boy mule-kicked him away, sending Vincent into the cavern wall. The boy kipped up to his feet and dropkicked Vincent into the wall once more. Vincent slumped down slightly as dirt fell onto his face. The boy once again kipped up to his feet, but this time Vincent moved aside as the boy tried to dropkick him. Phoenix landed on the ground with a thud. As he bounced up from the impact of the ground, the Death Penalty smacked into his nose and followed him back into the ground. 

"Any son of Sephiroth is my enemy" Vincent pulled his finger back in anticipation, but the boy flung his hand up, sending a silver energy ball into Vincent's chest. Vincent screamed out in shock as he was flung down the hallway. Phoenix heard the gun smack off the ground near him as he stood up. Walking forward, he saw the Death Penalty but no one to wield it. He bent down and picked it up, then glanced into the darkness. 

"I'll show father what I can do!" Phoenix screamed as he tossed the gun to the side and looked down the hallway. He put his hands out in front of his body. He stood their, his fists clenched tightly. When he opened his fists, they were surrounded by a silver energy. 

"Renzoku Energy Dan!" The boy screamed as blast after blast of energy flew from his hands into the darkened halls. They streaked down the hall, giving the cavern its first real taste of light in decades. They started slamming off the sides of the cavern, forming clouds of dust and debris. Phoenix stopped and watched the hallway once again turn to darkness, but now mixed in with dust. Phoenix smirked while walking back towards the lab. 

* * *

"Why do I even care?" Tifa mumbled as she looked up at the night. She was hoping to find a cluster or sparkling stars and bright planets. Instead she got clouds covering the sky. 

"Clouds ruin everything!" She screamed as she slammed her hands onto the railing. 

"Did you say clouds or Cloud?" Red asked suddenly. Tifa spun around to face him. Her face had turned s dark shade of red. 

"Why did you sneak up on me?" Tifa asked, her chest moving in and out rapidly. Red sat back and wagged his tail along the metal ground. The fire tip burned through the darkness. 

"I asked you first Tifa. To play fair I did not intend to sneak up on you" Red remarked. Tifa turned away from him and looked up at the sky again. 

"Clouds...plural. They're ruining the night" Tifa grumbled as she folded her arms on the railing. She then laid her head down on her arms and looked up at the sky. 

"And the Cloud who is downstairs is not?" Red questioned from behind her. Tifa closed her eyes and sighed. 

"He has a death wish, I swear" Tifa opened her eyes and looked up at the depressing sky. 

"He just wants to stop them..." Red began. 

"He wants to kill them to go look for Aeris!" Tifa screamed as she looked up. She closed her eyes once again, holding them shut as if to block it all out. 

"Tifa, we're all looking at this like a living nightmare. Cloud's not though" Red stated. Tifa pushed her head up and turned around weakly. She leaned against the railing and looked at Red. 

"He just wants to be a big shot" She forced out, slouching down a bit more. Red shook his head softly. 

"You and I both know that is not true. Tifa, Cloud has made a lot of mistakes. We all have. He promised Aeris he would protect her...and he failed. I'm not sure about you, but I have never swore to protect someone then failed. And now Tifa, Cloud can make that up. If Aeris is back, he can keep his promise" Red spoke softly, looking into her eyes. Tifa's chest heaved even more, going in and out. 

"I miss Aeris too! I do!" Tifa called out, her voice breaking. Red nodded and once again looked into her eyes. 

"You miss Aeris. You do not miss competition for Cloud" Red forced out. Tifa's eyes began to turn into water faucets. She slammed her arms back into the railing. 

"That's not true...!" Tifa spat. She turned away from him, throwing her body onto the railing. She covered her head with her arms. 

"Tifa, I don't know how he feels about you two. But whether she is dead or alive, his feelings will not change about you. Think about it" Red pointed out. Tifa weeped into her arms, her body shaking with emotion. 

"Go away! Leave me alone!" Tifa screamed as she cried into her arms. But no answer came. 

* * *

"Father...I have defeated that...person" Phoenix stated, standing in the doorway to the lab. Sephiroth paced through the lab, reading his book. Phoenix stood there, watching his father. 

"Father, I have..." Phoenix began again, but Sephiroth just dropped the book from in front of his face and glared at him. 

"I heard explosions. Go bring me proof" Sephiroth casually said as he turned around and went back to reading his book. Phoenix watched him walk back down the stack before he turned and walked down the dim hallway. The boy held his hand out as silver energy collected in his hand. The light acted like a a flashlight as he made his way down the dusty cavern. Large slabs of rock had fallen from his attack, making it seem like a demolition crew had come through. As he reached the staircase he heard groaning. Vincent was leaning against a wall, his body shaking. 

"Still alive?" Phoenix questioned as he slightly sneered. Vincent pushed off the wall and walked to the center of the cavern. Phoenix tilted his head a bit. 

"You're in over your head" Phoenix remarked as he noticed the lack of weapons in his hands. Vincent bent down a bit. 

"Boy, you are naive. It is you who is in over his head" Vincent replied. Phoenix's eyes narrowed a bit. 

"Who are you? Some common village folk?" Phoenix asked. Vincent coughed a few times, spitting out dust and debris. 

"I am Vincent Valentine. I am the farthest thing from common you'll meet" His body began to trumble. His eyes rolled back as he body shook like a kite in the wind. 

"I'm Phoenix, the son of Sephiroth.You look like you're having a seizure" Phoenix crossed his arms as the silver energy disappeared from his hand. He watched as Vincent bent over. Just as Phoenix was about to laugh, Vincent looked up and let out a deathly roar. Phoenix took a step back, then gulped hard as Vincent's body began to change. Phoenix dropped into his fighting stance as his staff appeared in his hands. 

"What are you doing? What are you?" Phoenix screamed as the beast that once was Vincent eyed him up. 

"Chaos!" The monster roared as it flew in at the boy. 

* * *

"He must not have finished that gothic brute off yet" Sephiroth remarked as he flipped to the next page. He glossed over the page, not finding anything useful. He threw the book onto the floor then grabbed the next one off the shelf. He paced through the stack, glossing over page after page. 

"This is so mundane..." Sephiroth noted as he threw that book down onto the ground. He snatched another book off the shelf and began to read. After a few moments, he threw the book over his shoulder. Sephiroth paced through the stack, then suddenly pulled out his sword and slice. He turned and watched an entire shelf of books falls to pieces. He walked to the desk down there. He fell into the chair. 

"If I want to accomplish my goal, I need to destroy the planet. Even as strong as I am, I cannot do it without the Black Materia. No other materia is able to cause that much destructive energy. Most normal materia can only cause a small faction of the damage Meteor could do..." Sephiroth pondered. He leaned back in the chair. He looked up at all the books in the stack. 

"All those books. Not a damn one has been useful to me. The few I've glossed over have given me little information" Sephiroth remarked. He stared at the books. 

"So many books together though...one piece of materia could barely dent the planet, but what if I had hundreds?" Sephiroth pondered. 

* * *

Phoenix dove under the flying Chaos, rolling to his feet as the beast flew over him. He ran towards the staircase. Chaos halted in the air and let out a beastly roar. Phoenix pointed his finger at the beast. 

"Take this!" He screamed as he began bullet-sized energy blast of his finger type at the beast. Chaos got his as he began to face Phoenix, knocking him back down the hallway a little more with each blast. Phoenix stopped when Chaos disappeared into the darkness. He dropped into a defensive position as he heard the familiar roar. Chaos tore through the air. It caught the boy off guard with its speed, grabbing him by the shoulders and ramming him right into the back wall, near the staircase. The demon-beast let him go then floated back a few paces. Phoenix watched as the beast flew at him again with its head down. Phoenix ran forward and swung as hard as he could with the staff, stopping Chaos dead it its tracks. The blow caused the staff to shake violently. Phoenix dropped the staff as he got behind the stunned Chaos and grabbed it around the waist. He ran forward, running it into the very spot it had run him into. The beast cried out in pain as Phoenix let it go and ran back to his staff. He bent down and snatched it up but as he went to straighten out the beast was on him again, slashing down at him with a claw. Phoenix jumped back out of the way and swung the staff at the beast's head, but Chaos easily ducked it. Phoenix back-flipped over and dropped into his position again. The demon flapped it's wings as it floated up. Once it stopped moving upward, it continued to flap its wings hard, causing dust to begin to swirl in the air. 

"What is this, clean up time?" Phoenix demanded to know, but no answer came. The beast kept flapping its wings. Phoenix turned and kicked off the wall, using it as a springboard to grab the stairs. He pulled himself up onto the stairs, which where the same height as the beast. Chaos stopped flapping its wings and looked over at him. 

"I won't be caught in a dust storm" Phoenix remarked as the staff disappeared from his hand. Chaos bent back and let out a roar but got kicked in the gut in mid-roar as Phoenix came barreling off the stairs with a kick. Chaos slammed into the wall at the same moment Phoenix's feet cracked the wooden steps he landed on. Phoenix went running up the stairs until he reached the same height as the beast. Chaos flew at him with reckless speed. Phoenix jumped up at the last moment, landing on the beast's shoulder's. Phoenix leaned back, trying to flip the monster over, but Chaos put his hands on Phoenix's back and held him up. Phoenix's eyes went wide as Chaos flew directly up, smashing Phoenix's head into wooden stairs.Phoenix groaned as the beast floated down, then let Phoenix drop off. But instead of letting him hit the ground or the lower stairs, Chaos grabbed his ankles and flung him upwards, sending Phoenix right through a section of the stairs. Pieces of shattered wood fell like raindrops as Phoenix bounced off a section of stairs. Chaos flew upwards then dive-bombed towards Phoenix. As the beast neared, Phoenix jumped up and off the fall, spinning in mid-air and landing on Chaos's shoulders once more. But this time Phoenix spun himself around and flung Chaos across the way and into the wall. Phoenix grabbed the stair's as he fell downward. As soon as he pulled himself up onto the stairs he lunged off again, barreling towards the demon. He slammed into the beast, causing both to slumped down onto the stairs. Chaos got up first and took to the air, flapping its wings as hard it could. Phoenix pushed himself up. 

"You're not going anywhere!" Phoenix screamed as he ran up the steps after the beast. Chaos hovered near the top. As soon as Phoenix neared the top the demon-beast attacked like a hawk, flying at the boy with great speed. This time, just before it reached the boy, the beast stopped. Phoenix jumped up to block an attack, but none came when expected. As Phoenix's feet were about to hit the ground, the beast grabbed his shirt and flung him towards the door to the house, knocking it down. Chaos roared and followed his hunt into the mansion. 

* * *

"None of this information is current enough" Sephiroth said as he slammed the huge book shut. He tossed the book aside with one hand, then marched down the stack one last time. He stopped when he reached the doorway to the cavern. The sounds of battle were echoing down to him. 

"That boy is wasting time up there. He should be done already. Worthless waste of genes" Sephiroth remarked as he marched slowly down the cavern. The ceiling above him shook now and then, dirt falling down to the ground like snow. Sephiroth stopped once he reached the stairway. He glanced around at the broken steps. At places three or four pieces were broken. 

"My son would never have let someone live this long" Sephiroth muttered as he began to climb up the stairs. 

* * *

"Eat this!" Phoenix screamed as he flung a small energy blast at Chaos. The beast dodged to the left but ran into the wall. Before Chaos could react Phoenix ran at him and clotheslined him into the wall. The wall cracked behind Chaos as both of them fell through it, with Phoenix slamming on top of Chaos. Phoenix grabbed Chaos' head and slammed it into the ground a few times before the beast got his legs under the boy's belly and pushed him off. Chaos roared as he floated back up. Phoenix kipped up to his feet. 

"I am so sick of...!" Phoenix began but suddenly Chaos launched an attack of a dozen skulls. Phoenix blinked as the skulls slammed into him. Phoenix cried out as he fell back onto the ground. Chaos roared, which sounded like a laugh, then floated over to the boy. The beast glared down at him. Chaos picked him up with both hands and flew into the main room of the mansion. He held the boy up over his head and tried to throw him downward. Phoenix grabbed onto Chaos' right hand as well as the banister as he fell, throwing Chaos off instead. Chaos skidded through the air, halting to a stop in mid-air. Just as the beast began to fly upwards, Phoenix lunged at him, somersaulting in the air. Chaos flapped its wings upwards so that Phoenix went right underneath him, crashing into the ground. Phoenix slammed into the hardwood floor and slide into the front door.Chaos flapped its wings as it landed on the ground and stalked forward towards the boy. Sephiroth walked through doorway near the top of the stairs. 

"I cannot believe he's going to lose to that freak. That monster is just toying with him now" Sephiroth hissed while watching from the top of the steps. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot. Phoenix got to his shaky feet and leaned against the door to keep himself up. Chaos let out a beastly roar, causing Phoenix to mumble something before falling to his knees. Chaos jumped into the air and roared again. Suddenly Phoenix got to his feet, pulling his hands around in a cup shape. 

"Kamehameha!" He screamed as a huge silver wave of energy came from his hands. Chaos was engulfed in a bright silver light as it cried out in pain. The energy wave sent the beast right through the old chandelier and into the ceiling. Chaos hung on the ceiling for a moment before free-falling back to the ground. As it fell, it turned back into Vincent. He let out a groan as he slammed into the ground. Phoenix fell to his knees as he gasped for breathe. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed on the boy as he began to walk down the stairs. 

"You are wasting time" Sephiroth said as he passed the boy by. Phoenix barely had the strength to turn around to watch Sephiroth walk past the old metal gate. 

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

Chapter 8 

* * *

"Unbelievable" Vincent muttered as he watched the helicopter sink into the sky. He turned and limped back into the mansion. Forcing himself up the stairs, Vincent glanced to the left at where the chandelier had been. His eyes fell onto the floor and say the shattered remains of the chandelier. The same one that his body and the blast had slammed. Vincent turned forward again and forced himself up the final stairs. Breathe came to him in huge gasps as he marched towards the basement stairs. 

"Must be stopped..." He muttered as he began his descent down the stairs to the basement. Once he reached the bottom he stopped. He looked all around the newly cracked walls. He then looked at the uneven and fairly dangerous cavern. 

"Must be stopped" He repeated as he began to climb over the rocks and dirt that now lay in his way. 

* * *

"It's a shame Yuffie is still recovering" Cloud said as he pushed the glass door open. Barret slammed the other side of the doors open, strolling out into the sun-light. 

"Yeah right. That's the only break we've caught so far" Barret snarled, rubbing his gun-arm. Cloud slightly turned his head and looked at him. 

"You're lucky they didn't take that from you" Cloud mentioned. Barret shrugged as he rubbed a smug off. 

"Between Reeve being a big-shot here and shit, they wouldn't dare touch it" Barret claimed. He smirked slightly when the smug disappeared. Cloud bobbed his head as he walked along. 

"Well, we got you at least. That makes it at least five on two" Cloud remarked. Barret just nodded as they began to walk along in silence. Soon they reached the Highwind. Red stood at the bottom on the ladder. A small smile appeared on his face when he saw Barret. 

"Well, the odds got a little better. How do you feel?" Red asked. Barret nodded. 

"Feel good; ready to make that punk's face swiss-cheese" Barret stated. Cloud looked down at Red. 

"Any possible locations yet?" Cloud asked. Red smile grew more. 

"Actually, we think we have precise location" Red said as he wagged his tail in the air. Cloud's went wide for a moment as his jaw hung open. 

"That quick?" Cloud demanded to know. Red nodded his head. 

"We found out that a group of children reported seeing a helicopter fly over Rocket Town. It was heading towards the mountains. And nothing has been spotted near Cosmo Canyon" Red remarked. Cloud nodded his head. 

"Leaves one town...where all kinds of records are kept" Cloud said as he rubbed his hands together. Barret looked at Cloud. 

"You know, Vincent still lingers there" Barret mentioned. Cloud suddenly jumped onto the ladder and raced upwards. Red blinked as he turned around. 

"Cloud, where's the fire?" Red asked quickly. Cloud looked down at them with wild eyes. 

"Sephiroth is going to go directly to the basement in the mansion there. If he went there, it's to look at all those old books. And who hangs out down in that basement?" Cloud remarked as he scrambled up the ladder. Barret shrugged and looked at Red. 

"Vincent's not that stupid. He'd never fight those two alone. Spikey just don't seem to want to miss the fight" Barret groaned as he rubbed his free arm against the gun. Red began to climb the ladder. 

"I think so too. Regardless, we don't need to waste time down here. Ship is ready to take off and everything is on board" Red stated. Barret got on the ladder and began to climb as well. 

"True. And I owe that punk...I'll teach him" Barret claimed. 

* * *

"Why do I need to wait here?" Phoenix asked. Sephiroth pushed him back into the helicopter. 

"You screw up too much. We need to use stealth here. I do not wish to waste more time due to your incompetence" Sephiroth added with disdain. Phoenix climbed into his chair and leaned back. After a few moments, he heard a stirring in the back seat. He got up on his knees and turned around, looking down. Aeris laid there, her bright eyes open and looking at him. 

"Is he gone?" Aeris whispered to which the boy replied with a nod. Aeris leaned up and looked out the side of the craft. 

"Why do you take that from him?" Aeris asked as she looked at the boy. Phoenix blinked slowly before he turned away from her. 

"He takes it from me. I'm a failure of a son" Phoenix claimed. Bowing his head down, he just looked at the ground below him. Aeris leaned on the chair next to his. She looked at him and tilted her head. 

"I never knew Sephiroth had a son" Aeris stated calmly. Phoenix nodded his head. 

"Must be why I was left in Midgar...I mean, I'm such a bad son" Phoenix leaned back against the chair. His face was covered in shades of confusion. 

"Left you in Midgar?" Aeris asked. Phoenix nodded again then let out a deep sigh. 

"I woke up a few days ago in Midgar. I found out my goal was to bring Father back to life...now he doesn't want me. I've done something wrong" Phoenix replied as he looked down at the ground again. Aeris sighed softly. 

"That's such a shame" Aeris said. She looked forward into the night sky. Phoenix glanced over at her. After a few moments, Aeris looked over at him as well. They began to examine each other. Aeris looked puzzled as she looked at him. Phoenix blinked a few times. 

"What? Why do you look like..." Phoenix began but Aeris shook her head. 

"Nothing-nothing. You just remind me of someone. I can't place it for the life of me though" Aeris stated. A few moments passed in silence as they kept gazing at each other. 

"I thought Father put to sleep...to keep you from running. Why would you run from Father?" Phoenix demanded. Aeris blinked her green eyes. 

"First off, he has been using the Sleep Materia on me. I just keep faking sleeping. That way, he will not do it as much" Aeris stated. Phoenix made a face. 

"Why would he even need to put you to sleep?" Phoenix asked while his eyes got bigger. It was now Aeris' turn to make a face. 

"Why wouldn't he...? I mean, don't you know what he's done?" Aeris looked like someone told her that dogs could fly. Phoenix shook his head. 

"Father is the greatest fighter alive" Phoenix claimed. Aeris leaned on the chair with her hands under her chin. 

"He may be, sure. He also tried to destroy the world! I mean, literally tried to blow the whole thing up so he could become some kind of god. If my friends hadn't stopped him, he would have too" Aeris stated. She looked closely at the boy, still trying to figure out who he reminded her off. Phoenix's eyes glossed over. They both sat there for a few moments in silence. The boy turned his head to face her. His eyes locked onto her hers. 

"Everyone would have died?" Phoenix asked. Aeris nodded. 

"Yeah...your dad wanted to be a god" Aeris said. Phoenix blinked which caused Aeris to blink. 

"My father?" Phoenix asked. Aeris nodded and smiled ever-so-slightly. 

"Yes, your father...I assume you weren't told about who he was" Aeris leaned a little more onto her arms. Phoenix shook his head and turned away. He looked up into the night sky. 

"I have no memory beyond waking up a few days ago...all I know is what I know from these past days. Well, that's not all true...I know how to open doors, for example. But I do not have any memories" Phoenix claimed. Aeris blinked a few times. She watched the boy in fascination. 

"He does not care that your his son" Aeris coldly stated. He turned around and glared at her. She closed her eyes the moment his mismatched eyes tore into hers. 

"He is my father. He must care!" Phoenix screamed. Aeris pushed off the chair and slammed into the back seat. 

"Please, I don't want to hurt your feelings but..." Aeris began, but the boy turned away from her. 

"I'm his son. Why wouldn't he care about me?" Phoenix asked out-loud. Aeris gulped. 

"A lot of reasons...think of how he treats you. He just yells at you and calls you names. I mean...he wanted to kill every person alive so he could become a god. He's not a normal person" Aeris said as she opened her eyes finally. The boy slammed his head off the dashboard suddenly, prompting Aeris to lung over the chair and grab his shoulders. 

"Don't do that!" Aeris called out while holding him back. Phoenix leaned back, causing her to let go. 

"I'm worthless!" Phoenix cried out. Aeris leaned over the chair and looked at him. 

"That's not true! He would have killed me again in Icicle Inn if you hadn't been there! A "worthless" person doesn't stand up to the greatest fighter alive to help someone! If anything, you've done that" Aeris replied. Phoenix looked into her eyes but soon lost that battle and turned away. 

"You always try to run from him...why are you not running now?" Phoenix spat out as he put his arm on the window ledge. He rested his face on his hand. Looking into the glass of the window, he saw her behind him. She looked downward as she held her hands to her heart. 

"If I leave, you'll chase me and we'll be right here again. If you don't chase me, he'll blame you. He'd probably hurt you...maybe kill you. He'd then hunt me down for sure. We're in Wutai if I remember him correctly. That means I can either run to town or into the nothing-ness that's out here...it's just better if I stay for now" Aeris explained. Phoenix looked into the mirror, staring at her reflection in it. 

"I'm just a failure..." Phoenix muttered under his breathe. Aeris shook her head. 

"Don't say that. We all get down, but don't get down now! What if he is trying to destroy the world again? We're all dead if he does destroy it...I can't stop him...not in a fight..." Aeris stated. She looked over her shoulder out into the distance. Phoenix remained motionless, just staring at her. Aeris quickly lay back down. She clenched her eyes shut. 

"Don't be afraid of him. You're a good person, I can tell...you're just worried about him. There is more to life than what your parents think" Aeris rushed out of her mouth. Phoenix finally moved again as he climbed onto the seat and looked down at her. Aeris gently opened her eyes a touch and saw him looking down at her. A couple of minutes passed until Phoenix heard footsteps approaching. Phoenix looked out the pilot's side of the helicopter. Sephiroth approached with a huge sack over his shoulder. He dropped it to the ground. He glared at the boy as he climbed into the helicopter. 

"Go out there and load that into here boy! I should have taken you; I never realized how heavy that would be dragging back here" Sephiroth commanded. Phoenix slowly climbed out the passenger side of the helicopter and walked over the bag. He struggled but finally picked it up. He lunged it over to the helicopter. He opened the hatch in the back and loaded it up. Just as he closed the back hatch the helicopter blades began to spin. Phoenix rushed up to the side of the helicopter and jumped in. Two seconds later the helicopter took off. Phoenix looked over at his father with confusion. Once there was no answer, he just looked forward again. Thoughts raced through his head but unlike before he did not question these thoughts to the man sitting next to him. 

* * *

"Nibelheim, the fakest town around!" Cloud declared as he walked through the main entrance to the city. Tifa rolled her eyes. 

"I still can't believe they just re-built this place like no one would notice" Tifa remarked. She rubbed her bare arms to warm them against the chill the city gave. Red walked beside her while his tail gently slapped into her leg now and then. 

"Shinra was not what one would call sympathetic" Red stated. Barret grounded his teeth together as he trudged behind all of them. 

"I'd call them assholes...they can still piss me off and they don't even exist!" Barret roared. They others all glanced back at him to quiet him up as they approached the mansion. Cloud stopped once they got inside the metal fence. 

"Barret, you check the area outside here. Look for that helicopter. Any landing marks, anything. Do not take them on alone if you spot them" Cloud commanded. Barret nodded and jogged off to the side of the house. Cloud looked at Tifa and Red. 

"Ok, I want you two to go up there and each open a door. I'll be standing right there so we can get the jump on them if they happen to be here" Cloud commanded. Red and Tifa silently moved up to the door. Cloud pulled out his sword and approached the front of the door. Each yanked a door open which set Cloud into action. He lunged into the room, but saw nothing there but dust. 

"Coast is clear...looks like someone fought a war in here" Cloud walked up the broken chandelier. Red trotted up behind him. 

"This house is old Cloud. Perhaps it just fell" Red replied. Cloud shrugged then looked up at where it had been hanging. He looked down the ceiling further and noticed that dust and debris was falling from a certain spot. Cloud moved forward and stared straight up at the ceiling. 

"And this stuff here?" Cloud asked. Red walked forward and sat back on his hind legs. 

"It could be water damage from the roof. I'm not saying there was not a fight here. I am telling you to be real-" Red began. He stopped when he heard the sound of running above him. They both looked up at the balcony where Tifa stood. 

"Guys, get up here! It's trashed!" Tifa screamed before disappearing back into the room. Both of them ran upstairs to the room. 

"I think you are correct Cloud" Red stated once he took in the room. Cloud smirked and crossed his arms. 

"Told you...damn, what about Vincent?" Cloud suddenly thought. Tifa rushed to the basement stair-case. She began to walk down the steps but halted. 

"Look in here guys!" She screamed. Within moments both Red and Cloud were in the staircase. 

"Looks like someone fought a battle in here" Cloud remarked. Red shook his head as he careful walked down, hopping over cracked boards. 

"More like a war" Red mentioned as he carefully made his way down the stairs. Tifa followed behind Red, making sure to take every step he took. Cloud followed behind them, glancing at the walls. Suddenly his foot went through a step. Cloud quickly pushed his foot out. 

"Paying attention I see" Tifa huffed as she glanced back at him for a moment. Cloud shrugged as they all began to walk down the stairs again. Red stopped the moment he saw the cavern. Tifa bumped into him. 

"What's going-?" Tifa began as Cloud bumped into her back. 

"Hey, what's up?" Cloud said as they looked down the cavern. Red turned around and looked up at Cloud. 

"I believe you were correct about there being a fight here" Red remarked. 

* * *

"Anything new?" Cid said quietly as he inhaled some fresh cigarette. Reeve leaned back and shook his head. 

"I'm getting a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo but nothing that will help. I mean, I unlocked a security file. I thought that would be helpful. It is just a record of what scientists worked what days...I mean, there are so many unnamed files in this" Reeve stated as he went back to pounding on the keys. Cid nodded his head, then let out a puff of smoke. 

"Meaning they really don't want people in that stuff" Cid said. Reeve nodded. 

"This stuff is super-high secret. I'm not sure if even the President knew exactly what was going on in that lab" Reeve mentioned. Cid leaned off the wall and walked away a moment. 

"Damn punk..I'm not that old..." Cid whispered to himself. 

"What was that Cid?" Reeve asked. Cid turned around and faced Reeve. 

"Nothing. Anyways, do you think they did more experiments like this?" Cid asked. Reeve stopped typing and looked over at Cid. 

"I highly doubt it; this project doesn't seem to be a high-flying success. The only reason they kept working at it is cause Hojo found it fascinating. It's incredible and some-what insane the lengths he went to keep it running and keep it secret" Reeve mentioned. Cid walked back over and looked down at the screen again. 

"Ok, you got my interest" Cid said. Reeve smiled a little. 

"Ok. Hojo was such a nut about security with it. So far, I've found out that 75% of the scientists who worked on it didn't even know what it was. They just thought it was standard research. I mean, stuff like blood types matching and that. When you got into the genetics they were told it was all "hypothetical" and such" Reeve said as he kept typing. Cid laughed a bit. 

"I thought scientists were suppose to be super smart or some shit like that" Cid said with a chuckle. Reeve added his own chuckle then stopped. 

"Well, to be honest, some did wise up to it. I mean, if you're studying about genetics and how to change them for ten months I think you'll wise up after a point. And before you ask, those who did find out all died. I mean, if they even asked Hojo what was really going on and they didn't buy the standard line, he'd kill them" Reeve stated. Cid rubbed his chin and let out a small puff of smoke. 

"So the Turks were busy then?" Cid asked. Reeve shook his head. 

"No. Trust me, I have access to the Turks files. I checked them already. They never any killing for Hojo during this time frame. Hojo didn't exactly like the Turks. And considering how top secret this project was, he never had them anywhere near it. He didn't want them scooping into his stuff" Reeve stopped typing for a moment and stretched upward. Cid made a face. 

"Oh yeah, typing is hard labor. Ranks up there with working in a coal mine" Cid blew out some smoke. Reeve spun around and glared at him. 

"Hey!" Reeve cried out, causing Cid to chuckle. 

* * *

"Hey guys, Vincent's room-" Tifa began as she stood in the doorway. Cloud turned and put his finger up to his lips. 

"Someone's in the lab" Cloud whispered. Tifa closed her mouth and nodded. Red took the lead with Cloud behind. Tifa jogged up behind Cloud. They all nodded to each other, then turned the corner and ran in. 

"Who's in here?" Cloud declared a-loud. Tifa rolled her eyes. 

"Real smart; let them know we're coming!" Tifa yelled at him. Red just sighed. They all turned and looked as someone walked from the stalks. Vincent limped forward from the stalks. He was carrying a book with something sticking out of it. 

"You all would have been dead if Sephiroth was still here" Vincent remarked as he walked over to a lab table. He sat down, wincing a bit. They all walked over and gathered around. 

"What happened Vincent? Are you ok?" Tifa asked before the others could. Vincent nodded slightly. 

"They were both here. Sephiroth and that...son of his. I fought the son. He is incredible fighter; much more agile than I expected. I thought I had the fight won and he did this incredible energy attack. By the time I got up, they were gone" Vincent stated bluntly as he opened the book and pulled the map out. Cloud sighed. 

"Yeah, that's him. We've been chasing them all over" Cloud stated. Vincent looked up at him. 

"What damned nature allowed Sephiroth to return to this plane of existence?" Vincent asked. Cloud blinked a few times, opening his mouth. Before words could exit, Red bumped into his leg. 

"We're not certain how, but we know the boy did it. Reeve is researching it as we speak" Red replied. Vincent leaned back and took a deep breathe. 

"I never knew Sephiroth had a son. What a damned boy he is. He lacks Sephiroth's pure rage in battle, but you can tell the boy is his son. He has that same feel when you're battling him" Vincent looked back down at the map. Cloud glanced down at the map. 

"I know what you mean...anyways Vincent, what's with the map and book?" Cloud asked. Tifa nodded as she leaned forward. 

"Yeah, really. Something Sephiroth was looking at?" Tifa asked. Red hopped up onto the table with his front paws. Vincent looked down at the book. 

"Apparently Sephiroth is looking for locations with Lifestream rips" Vincent claimed as he read the book. Red looked closer at the map. 

"He seems to have circled a few" Red stated. Vincent looked up from the book and nodded. 

"I'm aware. I was hoping the book would give more insight into the matter. He did not mark that or leave notes" Vincent stated as he looked at the map. Leaning back, Cloud let out a sigh. 

"There are like twenty circles here. And Sephiroth could be heading to any of them for god-knows-what" Cloud huffed, slamming a fist into the map. Tifa looked up at him. 

"He's only got so much fuel in that helicopter. He can't go to them all" Tifa stated. Red looked up at Vincent quickly. 

"Do you know which way they are headed?" Red aimed towards Vincent. He nodded. 

"They went east-ward, towards Wutai" Vincent stated. Red looked down at the map. 

"There are two rips over that way, apparently. One is actually on the same island as Wutai. The other is too the south more, on a small secluded island. It's only noted for the rip, actually" Red pushed away from the map and looked at Vincent. 

"The book is about two decades old. Rips can close up or not be as wide as they once were though" Vincent explained. Red nodded and looked back at Tifa and Cloud. 

"We have a lead, anyways. We should head towards Wutai. We know he headed that way. He could be going to the rip there or for something else" Red stated. Cloud nodded. 

"Alright, we got a lead. A solid one. Hopefully it will work out like this one has" Cloud stated. Tifa looked at Vincent. 

"You going to come with us? We could use your help" Tifa said softly. Vincent picked up the map and folded it. He placed it inside the book. 

"I do not think I will be much help in a fight; that boy's blast was very strong. I shall remain here." Vincent claimed as he picked up the book. He tossed it to Cloud, who shrugged his shoulders. 

"Hey, we brought Reeve with us! We can use you for sure too" Cloud stated. Tifa swatted him on the back of the head. 

"Oh hush you. You do as you feel Vincent" Tifa exclaimed. Red chuckled while he got his paws off the table and trotted towards the cavern tunnel. He stopped and turned towards them. 

"Let's go then. We have little time to waste" Red then entered into the tunnel. Cloud waved an arm towards the tunnel. 

"Yeah, let's mosey people" Cloud said as he walked into the tunnel. Vincent looked at Tifa. 

"He still says that?" Vincent asked, causing Tifa to giggle. 

"Yeah, he does" Tifa said while Vincent shook his head. Tifa kept giggling as they entered the hallway. Cloud stopped and looked back. 

"What's so funny?" He asked. Tifa just shrugged like him. 

"Let's mosey along Cloud" 

* * *

"Whose orders did you follow" Sephiroth asked out of the blue. Phoenix was staring forward when the question was asked. He blinked and looked at the dashboard. He remembered how he had left his back-pack in the city of ancients. 

"I asked you a question boy" Sephiroth hissed. Phoenix blinked a few more times then looked over at his father. 

"Unsure. No names on my..." Phoenix began, but Sephiroth just shook his head. 

"Hojo then" Sephiroth stated. Phoenix looked back out the front of the window of the helicopter. 

"I do not recall a Hojo-" Phoenix began, but Sephiroth interrupted once more. 

"He's very secretive. Since I do not recall a son, he must have had a hand in it. He was a meddler like that" Sephiroth stated. 

"You did not know you had a son?" Phoenix forced out. Sephiroth laughed a few times. 

"I never had a son. Did you just wake up in a laboratory?" Sephiroth asked the boy. Phoenix nodded a few times. 

"Yes, I woke up a-" Phoenix began before Sephiroth's laughs cut him off. 

"I bet you're just one of Hojo's experiments" Sephiroth stated between laughs. Phoenix glared over at him while he laughed. Phoenix looked away and out the side window. 

* * *

"It's getting cloudy you..." Cloud said as he walked out onto the open deck of the Highwind. Tifa glanced back at him. 

"Yeah, I'm aware...what's the hold up? Why aren't we going anywhere yet?" Tifa asked. Cloud shrugged and leaned back against the doorway. 

"Well, we got a call from Yuffie over the PHS. Apparently, someone fitting Sephiroth's description was seen in Wutai. Given how long we've been here, it's very possible they already got there" Cloud remarked. Tifa gave him a look. 

"Why aren't we leaving now then?" She demanded to know. Cloud shrugged. 

"Someone fitting Sephiroth's description was also seen leaving Wutai with a huge sack. He's already gotten what he wanted and moved on" Cloud stated. Tifa sighed and looked back up at the ever-growing cloud population. 

"I don't get it. What is he up to? Nothing makes sense...." Tifa trailed off. Cloud nodded. 

"Like last time, until it was too late. Regardless, the hold up is now finding the location of that island to the south of Wutai" Cloud claimed as he walked out onto the deck. He strolled over a few feet away from Tifa and rested his arms on the railing. Tifa looked over at him. 

"You wanna kill him still, don't you?" Tifa asked. Cloud sighed and looked down at the ground. 

"It's not 'I wanna kill him for revenge'. It's more like 'I wanna kill him so no one else gets hurt' way. I'm sure part of it is that, but I don't want another huge war and chance the planet could die..." Cloud said as he rested his forehead on his arms. Tifa turned her head over at him. Her hair whipped around and fell back onto her shoulders. 

"You know, you weren't this uptight about it until you thought Aeris was alive" Tifa said as she shook her head ever-so-gently, knocking the hair of her shoulders. Cloud glared over at her. 

"You know Tifa, it don't matter if Aeris is alive now. Last time I checked, we knew Sephiroth was alive. Getting rid of Sephiroth is the most important thing" Cloud hissed at her. Tifa blinked then looked back up at the clouds in the sky. 

"I'm sorry...I just don't want to see you...well, get your hopes up and then she is still dead" Tifa stated. Cloud sighed into his arms. 

"I'd like to see her again Tifa. I would really, really like to see her again. If I can, that's great...but right now is not the time to worry about it" Cloud looked over at her. Tifa looked over at him slowly. She watched his bright eyes blink. 

"I just don't...want to be forgotten by you" Tifa forced out. She felt herself blush-up. Cloud blinked once more before he pushed off the railing. 

"Tifa...I will never forget you...why would you think that?" Cloud asked. Tifa looked back up at the sky. A few moments passed in utter silence. Finally Tifa walked away from the railing and towards the door back into the Highwind. 

"It's taking them an awfully long time" Tifa said as she walked into the ship. Cloud sighed and followed behind her. 

* * *

"I'm telling you, it's impossible!" Cid hissed out. Barret crossed his massive arms. 

"I'm telling ya, its where we gotta go!" Barret replied. Cid put his finger on the map. 

"If they got hurricane winds down there, Sephiroth ain't going that way. And if he is, they'll kill him" Cid pointed out. Red looked up at Barret then over at Cid. 

"It's possible the computer weather report is wrong. We should go see for ourselves" Red remarked. Barret smirked then nodded his approval. Cid slammed his fist into the map. 

"There is no way in hell we're going there" Cid screamed. Reeve spun around in his chair and looked at them all. 

"I got the same weather report from three places. We should avoid that area" Reeve spoke up. Barret slammed his arm down into the table, but before he could speak someone grabbed his shoulder. 

"Cool it Barret! Why you guys fighting?" Tifa demanded. Cloud strolled into the room. 

"Yeah, what's all the fuss about?" Cloud asked. Before any of the others could speak, Reeve pushed their hands off the map in a sweeping gesture then pointed to the island as Cloud approached. Reeve pointed to the area around the island. 

"This is the closest place to Sephiroth's last known location which contains a known-Lifestream rip. However, when I looked up the coordinates on his computer, he found out there are storms down that way. Realistically, if the storms are there Sephiroth will not head that way. If he does, he's as good as dead. However, Red and Barret feel its worth looking into" Reeve explained. Cloud looked down at the map. 

"Well...that's a tricky situation" Cloud remarked. Tifa walked over and stood next to him, looking down as well. 

"What about this spot?" Tifa said as she pointed down at the islands near Mideel. Red blinked and looked at it. 

"Well, there are a few spots there, but that is across the entire map-" Red started. 

"If you view the world as flat. What about if you went to the west from Wutai" Tifa stated. Red smirked as he looked at the map. 

"Very good point Tifa" Red stated. Everyone looked at Tifa. She blushed just a touch as the smile covered her face. She just shrugged and looked at Cloud. 

"Let's mos-I mean let's move out damnit!" Cloud screamed as he slammed his fist into the table. Cid grinned and let out a puff of smoke. 

"Getting better Spikey" Cid said. Cid turned and took a few steps towards the pilots, then stopped and looked back. 

"You sure we wanna take this risk?" Cid suddenly asked. Cloud blinked a few times. 

"What risk...?" Cloud asked. Cid sighed. 

"Realize how far Mideel and those islands are from here? That's not a hop to Rocket Town. It'll take awhile to get there" Cid pointed out. Cloud shrugged. Red looked down at the map. 

"Your point is that if we go there and Sephiroth went elsewhere, we'd have wasted a huge amount of time" Red said softly. Cid nodded his head. He took his cigarette out of his mouth and coughed a few times. Tifa looked at Cid, then down at the map. 

"You got a point...we could totally miss them" Tifa softly said. Cid put the cigarette back in his mouth. 

"That's the catch" Cid replied. Cloud looked at the map a moment, then up at Cid. As he spoke, he turned and looked at everyone. 

"Guys, remember when we first went after Sephiroth? Remember all the stupid and pointless chances we took? We had to take them chances if we wanted a shot to stop him. Well, this whole time we've been careful when chasing these two. I say we take a chance. It's the only way we're gonna catch them. So I say we make for Mideel!" Cloud screamed. After a few moments of utter silence, Cid turned around and walked towards the pilots. 

"Let's roll out boys! We're heading for Mideel area!" Cid bellowed loudly. 

* * *

"Why are we here?" Phoenix asked softly. Sephiroth lifted the huge bag out of the back of the helicopter and tossed it at the boy. Phoenix fell backwards as he caught it. 

"What have I told you? Be seen and not heard" Sephiroth hissed. Phoenix forced himself to his feet and flung the bag over his back. He marched towards the front of the helicopter and watched Sephiroth. Aeris was laying in the back seat of the helicopter sleeping. Sephiroth reached in and grabbed her neck. Aeris' eyes shot open as Sephiroth pulled her out of the helicopter. 

"I realized you'd been faking since Nibelheim" Sephiroth muttered as the blade of the Masamune rested on Aeris' neck. Aeris gulped and squirmed on the ground a bit. 

"So what, going to kill me again...again?" Aeris spat out. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed as he pressed the sword blade closer. Phoenix watched silently on the side. 

"No...last time I made that mistake. Keeping you around is safer than killing you is" Sephiroth hissed at her. He pressed the sword blade on her chin, making her stand up. Aeris glared at him. 

"Do it. Come on, strike me down again" Aeris spat out. Sephiroth smirked slightly. Phoenix dropped the bag and watched even more closely. 

"You'll be dead in an hour anyways. Why trouble myself now?" Sephiroth remarked coldly. Aeris' eyes went wide as her body began to shake. 

"The black materia was destroyed..!" Aeris screamed out. Sephiroth sneered at her. Phoenix just blinked a few times. 

"Turn around and walk towards the mountain" Sephiroth commanded. Aeris closed her eyes and held her arms at her sides. 

"Kill me! Come on, I'm helpless. Just like last time" Aeris screamed out. Sephiroth held the sword to her throat for an entirety before lowering it. With a quick motion, he grabbed her hair and yanked her close to him. He held her close to his face; the lock on her hair painful. 

"I know what you're trying to do. Fortunately for me, he doesn't!" Sephiroth hissed under his breathe. He pushed her down onto the ground. Aeris rolled over onto her stomach and crawled a few steps before stopping when Sephiroth's foot hit her back. In a quick burst of un-expected speed, Aeris spun over, which caused Sephiroth to trip up and fall over. Aeris scrambled to her feet and looked back at Sephiroth. After a few steps her feet stopped meeting the ground. Sephiroth got to his feet and saw that Aeris was on Phoenix's shoulder. She was kicking and squirming around, but Phoenix held her tightly. Sephiroth sneered as he got to his feet. 

"You did something right for once. Grab the bag and let's go" Sephiroth ordered. Phoenix walked over to the bag as Aeris' struggles stopped. She just looked at the ground as it passed below her. 

"He's going to kill everyone on this planet" Aeris muttered to the boy, who picked up the bag. Phoenix stopped a moment, staring at Sephiroth. Sephiroth stopped and glared back at him. 

"Let's go boy. I do not have time for your incompetence" Sephiroth screamed. Phoenix nodded and began to follow his father once more. 

* * *

"We're nearing the Mideel area" Cid remarked as he walked towards the front of the ship. Tifa was there, holding binocular to her face. 

"I'm beginning to see land..." Tifa exclaimed. Cloud looked back at Cid. 

"How much longer-" Cloud began. 

"I see it! I see it!" Tifa screamed out. She quickly held the binoculars to Cloud's face and directed his eyes. Cloud smiled and turned to Cid. 

"Land the Highwind! We've found them!" Cloud screamed. Cid blinked and looked down at the ground. 

"We're still a bit away from Mideel..." Cid trailed off as Cloud turned around and looked at Red and Reeve. The both stood their, studying the map. 

"Guys, are there more than one rip down this way?" Cloud called out. Red nodded quickly. 

"Yes Cloud, there are numerous ones" Red replied. Cid let out a puff of smoke then turned to the pilot. 

"Land this bird!" Cid called out. 

* * *

"Damnit!" Sephiroth hissed. Looking up, he watched the Highwind fly over them. Aeris ceased her struggles as both her and Phoenix looked up at the sky. The wind smacked into all of their faces. 

"My friends are here now! You're done for Sephiroth!" Aeris called out. Sephiroth marched over and grabbed Aeris' hair, yanking her from Phoenix's grasp. Phoenix took a step back. Sephiroth held her up high in the air by the hair. Aeris' kicked her feet around below her frantically. 

"I tend to doubt that Cetra. Boy; you will stop those who will come to stop me" Sephiroth remarked. Phoenix blinked. 

"Of course Father, but-" Phoenix began. Sephiroth threw Aeris to the ground hard. Her body bounced off the ground, sending a small wave of dust up with her body. 

"Bring me the materia boy" Sephiroth commanded. Phoenix slowly walked over towards Sephiroth. With his body trembling, he handed Sephiroth the huge bag. Then he mumbled something under his breathe. Sephiroth glared at the boy as he hoisted the bag up with one hand easily. 

"What are you complaining about now boy?" Sephiroth asked. Phoenix slowly lifted his head up. His mismatched eyes locked onto Sephiroth's as his fists tightened. 

"Never do that again" Phoenix hissed between clenched teeth. Sephiroth's head bent upwards. Aeris got to her knees. 

"Don't give him that materia! What ever he has planned...it will not be good!" Aeris stammered. Sephiroth dropped the bag and grabbed Phoenix by the neck. He lifted him upwards as he throttled the boy. 

"Do not speak to me like that boy!" Sephiroth roared. Phoenix's eyes closed tightly. His hands grasped onto Sephiroth's and pulled with all their might. 

"...Father...please..." Phoenix muttered. Sephiroth let go; Phoenix fell to his knees in front of his father. Sephiroth quickly slapped the boy's face, knocking him aside. Sephiroth marched towards Aeris. 

"Don't you dare-" Aeris began, but Sephiroth pulling out the Masamune stopped her comment. 

"Shut up Cetra. You're coming with me" Sephiroth remarked. Aeris glared at him. She clenched her fists at her sides. 

"Kill me already! Come on...kill me!" Aeris screamed at him. Sephiroth sneered at her. 

"If you don't come...I'll kill him" Sephiroth replied coldly. Aeris' eyes went wide as she got to her feet. She looked over at the boy, laying on the ground. She put her hands over her heart and gulped. 

"Fine..fine, I'll go" Aeris answered. Sephiroth picked up the bag of materia with one hand and held the sword with the other. 

"Very good...now, into that cavern. Go on now; no time to waste" Sephiroth remarked. Aeris nodded, stole one last look at the boy, then turned and marched silently towards the cavern. Sephiroth turned and watched the boy get to his feet. 

"You will stop them boy" Sephiroth commanded. Phoenix's shoulders were drooping; his arms hanging there without much life in them. 

"Father..what is going on? What are going to do?" Phoenix asked slowly. The words slurred off his damaged tongue. Sephiroth marched over to him again and slapped him in the face, knocking him down like a ton of bricks. 

"You will not concern yourself with what I plan to do! You will stand here and fight them! You will not let them past; if you do boy, pray they kill you. If they do not, I will do much worse!" Sephiroth screamed. His voice echoed off the hills, bouncing back into the boy's mind numerous times. Phoenix rolled over and looked up at Sephiroth. Phoenix slowly got his feet; his body was shaking from all the mental damage. 

"Father...Sephiroth..." Phoenix forced out. Sephiroth turned away from the boy, ignoring every word he said. Phoenix watched his father march towards the cavern, then finally turned away from him. The wind kicked his coat up into the air behind him. The staff popped open in his hand as he leaned back. His eyes narrowed as he glanced up the hill. 

* * *

"Any ideas where we should go? Cloud asked. He pushed a tree branch out of his way and looked at Red. Red shook his head. 

"The rip is in a mountain. However, there are so many mountains in this area..." Red trailed off. 

"I think I know which way we should head" Barret called out. Cloud and Red both jogged over to the sound of his voice. Tifa joined the group from the other side. Barret pointed up a hill; on the hill there were a pair of footprints heading up. 

"Well, we could follow the footprints. That would seem logical" Red remarked with a smile. Tifa smacked Barret's shoulder. 

"Good job" Tifa crossed her arms gently and looked at the hill. 

"Alright...we know the boy is fond of sneak attacks. Let's go up as quietly as we can; he may be near the top" Cloud ordered. He drew his sword out and began to walk up the hill. Tifa quickly followed after him. Red crouched low to the ground as Barret glanced around. As they neared the top, Cloud got to his knees. He turned back and nodded; everyone quickly followed suit. He crawled up the hillside until he could see over the top. He blinked and looked back at the others. 

"Ok, quiet down...the boy is alone at the bottom of the hill. Sephiroth may be hiding somewhere in an ambush, but I doubt it..." Cloud muttered. 

"Or he could be inside the cavern already" Red pointed out. Tifa ground her teeth. 

"So what do we do? I mean, logically they saw us coming" Tifa stated. Barret rubbed his gun-arm. 

"I saw we run down the hill and blast that boy before his daddy even knows what happened" Barret grumbled. Cloud shook his head. 

"Look, it's not Sephiroth's style to sneak attack. He likes to openly confront people. The only surprise attack he may pull is letting us run down there and walking out from the side to shock us" Cloud leaned his back onto the hill. Tifa sneered. 

"He loves to make an entrance...but still, why leave the boy all alone out there?" Tifa asked. 

"A diversion. He wants to get near the rip. We're not sure why, but knowing Sephiroth...regardless, he's never let a life stand in his way" Red pushed his body closely to the hill. 

"That asshole thinks his kid is going to stop us? I don't care how strong he is; it's four on one!" Barret roared. Cloud glared at Barret and held his finger to his lips. 

"Quiet down...don't give away the little edge we have in surprise...but a good point. Sephiroth has to know the boy won't last long..." Cloud began. Red got to his feet. 

"But he'll last a few moments. And if that's all Sephiroth needs, we are wasting time!" Red said. Cloud nodded and got to his feet. 

"Ok, here is the plan people. We run down this hill; head straight for this kid. Watch for Sephiroth! If Sephiroth does not show up, I'm going into the cavern to find him" Cloud ordered. Tifa lunged to her feet and grabbed his wrist. 

"You are not fighting Sephiroth alone!" Tifa screamed. Cloud tried to pull his arm away, but Tifa held on strongly. Cloud bent his head and took a deep breathe. 

"Fine...Tifa and me will go into the cavern and see what we can find. Barret and Red, you'll have to distract the boy" Cloud ordered as he pulled his hand free. Barret grinned. 

"I'm gonna fill this asshole with lead" Barret claimed. Red looked upward at Cloud. 

"What if Sephiroth does appear?" Red asked. Cloud crossed his arms. 

"We'll follow the same type of plan; Tifa and me will try to stop Sephiroth while you two go after the boy. It's the best match-ups; I am the only one who has a weapon who can fight Sephiroth. Tifa might be able to out-fight Sephiroth if he loses the sword. Barret, you're gun can keep that kid on his toes and maybe take his long range...well, those blast attacks away. Red, you're probably the fastest one here. You can keep up with Phoenix the best" Cloud explained to them. Everyone nodded. 

"And guys...no one dies, ok?" Cloud spoke up. They all nodded again. After a moment, Cloud looked up at the hill top. 

"Barret, you cover us until we get to the ground. Red; you take the lead and go after that boy. Tifa and me will watch for Sephiroth. If we don't spot him, we're going in...let's go!" Cloud screamed. Barret went barreling past him, reaching the top of the hill. Barret glared down, aiming his arm at the boy. 

"You're going down!" Barret screamed. Phoenix looked up at him; his coat still flapping around in the breeze. He slowly looked up at Barret; his blue eye glaring at Barret while the other one was covered by the flapping coat. The moment Barret say his face, he opened fire. In an instant the boy began to back-flip away. At the sound of gun-fire the others ran up the hill and down the other side. As soon as they reached bottom of the hill, Barret stopped firing and ran down as well. Red pumped his legs hard; his aim set on the boy. Phoenix stopped back-flipping and crouched back into his position as Red neared. Red growled and lunged into the air. The boy spun around; much quicker than Red expected. The metal staff smashed into Red's face, knocking him onto his back. Before Phoenix could follow up, Barret opened fire again. Phoenix held his staff in front of him; the Barrier Materia blocking the bullets. 

"You tried this already!" Phoenix called out. Barret smirked as he began to walk clock-wise in a circle pattern. Phoenix put his hands over his heads; the barrier still blocking bullets. Silver energy once again began to accumulate around his hands. 

"Barret, he's going to fire...!" Cloud muttered out. Barret clenched his teeth tightly. 

"Go spikey! Sephiroth is not out here; go in that damn cave and stop him! Don't worry...I know what I'm doing!" Barret forced out between his teeth. 

"Don't be so foolish...!" Tifa began to say. Cloud grabbed her wrist and ran towards the cavern. 

"We need to find Sephiroth and end this!" Cloud screamed. Tifa pulled her wrist free and ran. Phoenix watched them. 

"Where are they....the cavern!" Phoenix though. He turned towards them. He flung his hands forward. 

"Masen-UMPH!" Phoenix screamed out. Red's head pushed hard into his rib-cage. The blast, due to this, went flying upwards into the sky. Before they had hit the ground, Phoenix had grabbed Red's body and flung it into the air. Phoenix rolled along the ground until his feet where under him. He quickly front-rolled to his staff. He picked it up with enough time to watch Cloud and Tifa run into the cavern. 

"Damnit...no!" Phoenix screamed. He took a few running steps forward before he heard gun-fire again. He spun around and held his staff up, blocking the few bullets. 

"Oh, no you don't...!" Barret remarked; a huge grin on his face. Phoenix glared at him, the coat whipping in the wind. The breeze kept batting the cuff of the jacket upwards; blocking his green eye. The blue one, however, focused on him perfectly. The staff disappeared from his hand. A silver glow replaced it around his hand. 

"Let the battle be joined" Phoenix replied calmly. 

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

Chapter 9 

* * *

"You're such a jerk! That boy looks up to you...he actually wants to be your son!" Aeris screamed at Sephiroth. Sephiroth rolled his eyes. 

"He is not my son. He is just some creation; some stupid creation" Sephiroth muttered. Aeris stopped walking. She turned around and planted her feet. 

"You're afraid of him! You saw that blast stuff he can do...so did I! You're afraid he can kill you! So you abuse the poor kid; you tell him his worthless. You talk him down so fears you; so he thinks he is actually nothing. You are truly weak!" Aeris screamed at him. She stood on her tip-toes, glaring at him. Sephiroth took a small step backwards. 

"Why do you care about the boy so much? He is worthless! An attempt to clone me. And a failure at that!" Sephiroth roared back at her. Aeris now take a few steps back. 

"I actually talked to the boy! He is a real person with real feelings. And you're just abusing those feelings for your own good. He is a real person; not some cooked-up creation! That's why I care! You know, I bet you once acted like a normal person! Maybe you should act like one now! Why kill this whole planet to be a god? Why?" Aeris spat back. Sephiroth took a step forward, dropping the bag filled with materia on the ground. 

"I am not a normal person! I am Jenova! The strong survive-" Sephiroth began, his glaring face looking down at Aeris. Aeris leaned up again. 

"And you're afraid of your own son! You're afraid of Cloud! That's why you left the boy out there to die! You're afraid you'll die if you tried to fight with him!" Aeris screamed in his face. Sephiroth grabbed her throat and lifted her into the air. 

"I fear no man!" Sephiroth roared at her. Aeris glared at him; her hands pulling on his wrists. She dug her fingers into his wrist in a vain attempt to get free, but Sephiroth did not flinch. Aeris squeezed as hard as he could, but it was not working. Aeris closed her eyes tightly and used every-bit of strength she had to dig her nails in. But still, Sephiroth did not move. 

"You fear Cloud...and you fear a boy!" Aeris screamed. She kicked forward, hitting him in the face. Sephiroth grabbed his face, letting her go. Aeris hit the ground. She rolled over onto her belly, then lunged at Sephiroth. Her head connected with his knee, causing him to buckle slightly. Aeris got to her feet and sprinted back the way they came. Sephiroth quickly regained his composure and pulled his sword out. 

"Damn you Cetra!" Sephiroth screamed as he followed after her. Aeris turned back to see where he was. The moment her head turn, she tripped on a rock. Aeris smacked into the slanted ground hard, her hair flying into the air all at once then falling back down, covering her face. Sephiroth slowed his pace, laughing. 

"You are pathetic. To think, you were the only one who could stop me..and you just ran away!" Sephiroth said between laughs. He held the sword high into the air. Aeris rolled over, knocking the hair and dirt from her face. She gasped as she looked up at the sword. 

"Just...just kill me!" Aeris screamed at him. Her eyes were wide; her body shaking. Sephiroth stopped laughing. 

"This will give me great joy. I must thank the boy for one thing; he gave me a chance to re-live killing you!" Sephiroth boomed as he thrust the sword downward. Aeris clenched her eyes closes while her jaw moved so much her teeth sounded like a drum being played. After a moment, she opened her eyes. Sephiroth was looking down at her but now his eyes were wide. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. They locked eyes for a moment before focusing on what had blocked the path of Sephiroth's sword. 

"You will not kill her again!" Cloud screamed at Sephiroth. Before Sephiroth could react, Tifa jumped over Cloud and kicked Sephiroth right in the face, knocking him back across the ground. Cloud and Tifa both looked down at Aeris. 

"You're alive!" Cloud screamed, the scowl on his face morphing into a smile. Tifa blinked, her eyes going wide. 

"Aeris...!" Tifa screamed as the happiness dripped of her tongue. Aeris quickly got to her feet. 

"Cloud...Tifa!" Aeris screamed in delight. She instantly grabbed Cloud's right hand and Tifa's left hand and squeezed them tightly. 

"Aeris..." Cloud muttered softly. For a moment, everything was right for them. Sephiroth coughed as he stood up, knocking dust off his shirt. Everyone looked over at him. 

"Sephiroth-" Tifa began to say. Sephiroth clenched his fists together. 

"Stop it! You sound like that rotten movie!" Sephiroth screamed. He bent down and picked up the Masamune. He spun his wrists as he got into his normal fighting stance. Aeris let go of their hands and looked at him. The happiness leaked out of her face. 

"He's up to something...like before. He wants to make the planet blow up again" Aeris stated. Tifa turned towards Sephiroth as well. She dropped back into her fighting stance as well. 

"How is that possible...he couldn't have gotten the black materia" Tifa remarked. Cloud steadied his sword in front of him. He heard there words but they did not register in his brain. 

"Regardless of that, we need to stop him; here and now" Cloud stated, making it clear that was the only thing on his mind. Sephiroth sneered at them. He glared at the three of them; the failed experiment, the flower girl, and the reckless tour guide. The three most significant people in his life. The three people who directly caused his demise. The snarl curled up on his face. 

"You will be joined in the Lifestream Cetra, it would seem. Very fitting it will be these two lost souls with you. You all should be swimming in that stream now...all of you! You all have cheated death. No longer can you cheat it. Your luck runs out here and now; no repeat of that fluke. Thanks to me, you all will find you rightful place...in the Lifestream with the other damned!" Sephiroth eyes narrowed as he glanced at the three of them. Cloud held the blade up; his eyes looked right past it and into Sephiroth dark eyes. 

"Not them...not me. Not by your hand" Cloud replied coldly. 

* * *

"It's like trying to hit a raindrop!" Barret screamed. He blanketed the area with gunfire, but the boy kept cart-wheeling out of the way. 

"This approach is not working" Red remarked. Barret nodded and cut the gunfire as Red ran towards the boy from the side. Red leapt into the air towards the boy. The boy somersaulted into the air and kicked Red right in the face, knocking him down. Red landed on his feet and lunged back at the boy, tackling him to the ground. The boy landed on his belly. Red growled and dug his claws into the back. Red jumped off his back when Phoenix began to stir. Phoenix kipped up to his feet while Red landed in front of him. Both went into a defensive position instantly. The wind blew onto them as they looked each other over. The only sound between them was the wind blasting their body. 

"You're fast" Phoenix muttered. Red smirked despite himself. 

"As are you. Agile too. Not many humans like that" Red stated. Phoenix smirked as well. 

"I'm not exactly human. Nor are you" Phoenix replied. Red bowed his head down; a spark in his eyes. He rushed forward at the boy and crouched down like he was going to jump. Once the boy began to back-flip, Red ran at him again. The moment Phoenix's hands hit the ground to push him over, Red headbutted him, knocking him off-balance. Red watched as the boy fell downwards, but was caught off guard when Phoenix grabbed his neck and put him in a front-face lock. Red tried to pull away as Phoenix's knees smacked into the ground. 

"Good move..." Phoenix forced out through clenched teeth as he held the face-lock on. Red kept fighting backwards. 

"Same to you" Red muttered. Suddenly, he switched his momentum and rushed forward. The force of the move broke him free from the face-lock. But the instance he got closer, Phoenix wrapped his legs around his mid-section. Red turned his head and tried to attack, but Phoenix punched him right in the face. As Red's head spun away, he swatted the boy in the face with his paw, knocking Phoenix's face to the side as well. Red rolled off him and glared at him. Phoenix kipped up to his feet once more; all their movement kicking up dust into the air. 

"Damn...Red, don't...attack" Barret muttered, but it was too late. Red and Phoenix rushed at each other again, sending even more dust into the air. Barret covered his face as the dust cloud blew his direction. Barret held his gun arm up to block the dust. Squinting, he watched the silhouettes moving through the storm. Despite the violent nature of what was going on, Barret felt like he was watching a performed dance; they never stopped moving nor did they waste a motion. Barret coughed away some dust as the two dances parted ways; Red held his ground as the boy back-flipped away from him. Barret pushed forward through the dust storm and stood behind Red. 

"Don't attack Red! Let me fill him with holes!" Barret screamed. He aimed the gun the best he could through the dust. The wind blew the dust all about creating an even worse smoke-screen than before. Barret and Red both clenched their eyes closed while the dust passed over them. Both slowly opened their eyes when they felt the dust pass them by. 

"Do not fire at him; it will not work at this time" Red muttered softly. Barret clenched his jaw tightly. 

"Why not? Bullets will kill him at any time!" Barret roared. Red crouched down into an attack stance. 

"You're missing the point; we do not need to kill him. We need to keep him away from the others" Red replied. Both of them looked at the boy; he was just standing there, looking at them. The wind once again sent his jacket into the air behind him. 

"He's waiting for us to make the first move. We need to keep him away from that cave" Red stated. Barret grinned and aimed the gun to the left of the boy. He opened fire towards the left of Phoenix. Instinctively he sprinted to the right, his feet kicking up dust. Bullets flew through the dirt the boy left behind. Barret stopped firing suddenly, causing the boy to skid to a stop. Barret looked down at Red. 

"Now, we're between him and the cave" Barret remarked. Red smirked as he planted his feet into the ground like a sprinter would do. 

"Rather clever Barret. Now, you stay here and guard the entrance to the cavern. I'll engage him. That way, if he gets past me and makes a break for the cave, you can stop him" Red muttered. Barret nodded. 

"Right. I can't wait to bust this punk up!" Barret roared. Red crouched down and began to run at the boy. Phoenix blinked as he looked at the situation. 

"They've pushed me away from the cavern. They know I want to head that way...well, so be it then" Phoenix said. He watched Red approach and waited, the wind blowing over his body. 

* * *

The fires danced on their torches, filling the damp cave with ample amounts of light. Their dances could be followed on the walls behind them; their shadows mimicking their dance step by step. The fire-powered light danced on each of their faces. Tifa's face was filled with a mixture of worry and confidence that only she could carry. Aeris' eyes shined, as always, with her warmth and courage. Cloud's teeth gritted together and body shook from the intensity which he held in it. Sephiroth stood in his fighting stance, his eyes ready to shoot an ice dagger. The only sound in the air was the cracking of the fire in the air. Tifa shifted her weight, taking her eyes off of Sephiroth and throwing them onto Cloud. 

"Cloud...we got your back" Tifa softly whispered. Cloud's eyes went wide as he straightened up just a touch. He glanced back at her, looking at her. Tifa bite her lip and nodded once. Cloud turned back towards Sephiroth, then broke into a sprint towards him. Sephiroth sneered as he blocked Cloud's first swing. 

"Never much on patience" Sephiroth muttered as he quickly kicked Cloud in the stomach. Sephiroth quickly swung downward at Cloud, but Cloud jumped back. Sephiroth kept swinging at Cloud, causing Cloud to keep back-pedaling until his back hit a wall. He swung hard at Cloud, who ducked under the blow. The Masamune smashed into the wall, giving Cloud an opening. He ran forward and head-butted Sephiroth in the stomach, knocking him back. Cloud then jumped up and swung his sword down hard, but now Sephiroth jumped back. Cloud glared at Sephiroth. Sephiroth sneer grew on his face. 

"I've always been a step ahead" Sephiroth coldly remarked. His face began to shake as Cloud began to laugh softly. Sephiroth ground his teeth together. His face turned red as his jaw began to grind its bones. 

"What are you laughing at?" Sephiroth demanded to know. Cloud stopped laughing but a smile had formed on his face. He shrugged his shoulders while holding his sword. 

"You're a lot slower than you use to be" Sephiroth face grew contorted for a moment, then after a few deep breathes it returned to normal. 

"I am just warming up" Sephiroth pushed through clenched teeth. Cloud let one hand off his sword and held it up to his face. He slowly cupped his fingers up and towards him. Sephiroth's eyes went wide again. 

"Son of a bitch" Sephiroth screamed as he rushed Cloud. Cloud put both hands on his sword and grinned. 

* * *

The bright blue suddenly flowed to a dirty brown. Then again the brown shifted to a blue background. This switching continued for a few more moments until the world stop still to Phoenix's eyes. Once he regained his sense of sight, he saw that Red was still crouching down in front of him, ready to attack. Behind Red, he saw that Barret's gun was still firmly locked on him. 

"You did not attempt an attack" Phoenix forced out. His eyes filled with confusion. Red's fur blew in the breeze; his tail flapping around like a flag behind him. 

"That is what you wanted" Red calmly stated. Phoenix jaw locked in his mouth. He held his hands down at his side. They held tightly in balls of anger. 

"You may think you can slow me down...I can get past you" Phoenix stated. Red glared up at him. 

"As long as I can breathe fresh air, I will not let you past me" Red hissed, his body curling up, ready to spring into action. Phoenix held a hand up in the air, silver energy whirling around it. 

"I can change that!" Phoenix screamed, throwing his hand downward. Red jumped backwards, but the blast hit the ground far in front of him. Red began to cough as a huge dust cloud kicked up in front of him. From behind them both, near the cave opening, Barret blinked. 

"What the hell?" Barret send. Suddenly a silver blast came flying out of the dust-cloud towards Barret. Barret jumped to the side and hit the dirt. He heard the blast smash into the mountain-side. Barret rolled over and looked up as rocks began to tumble down the hillside. Suddenly, he saw the boy racing past him and down into the cave. Barret got to his feet and fired some badly aimed bullets. Then, he saw the rocks falling down towards him. 

"Damn!" Barret screamed as he turn and ran back towards Red. The dust was clearing up, allowing Red to watch the rocks falling down the hillside. 

"Avalanche..!" Red screamed. Barret turned around finally and looked back at the mountain-side. 

"He got in there!" Barret bellowed. Red took a deep breathe of the clean air and shook his head. 

"That was very clever of him...now it's up to Cloud and Tifa...and they don't even know the boy is coming...they were counting on us..." Red looked down at the ground. Barret stomped towards the rocks. 

"Like hell it is! I'll move every damn rock to get down there" Barret roared. Red looked up, then shook the shame from his head then ran towards the rocks as well. 

* * *

The sounds of metal clashing filled the damp cavern, making it sound like some sort of punk-rock concert was going on. Cloud backed into a wall. He held his sword up, blocking Sephiroth's strikes, each one pushing Cloud further and further into the wall. Sephiroth sneer grew more and more with each blow. 

"I'll ask the Cetra what it was like to watch you die this time!" Sephiroth roared at him. Cloud's already-tight grip fastened harder on the sword. He began to push away from the wall, forcing himself forward as Sephiroth slashed at him again and again. Sephiroth's sneer faded somewhat but then he kicked Cloud in the gut, knocking him back into the wall. As Cloud hit the wall, the sneer came back in full force. 

"Then I'll gut the tramp and toss her around, just like Nibelheim. Maybe I'll let you live to watch them die...!" Sephiroth laughed while he attacked Cloud. Cloud suddenly screamed and ducked down, ramming his shoulder into Sephiroth's gut. As Sephiroth reeled back from that blow, Cloud pulled one hand off the sword and punched Sephiroth right in the face, knocking him onto the ground. He then swung Ultima Weapon down one-handed, but Sephiroth rolled out of the way and got to his feet. Backing into a defense stance, he wiped some blood from his lip. 

"I've wanted to punch you for years!" Cloud hissed. Sephiroth flicked the blood of his fingers while the sneer that had been home to his face returned from a short vacation. 

"I thought a fly bite me" Sephiroth remarked. Cloud's jaw tightened and he rushed forward, swinging his sword with all his force. Sephiroth quickly ducked down as the sword slammed into the cavern wall. Cloud quickly swung back the other way, but his target was a few feet back. Undaunted, he jumped into the air and swung down at his nemesis, but again all he hit was rocks. Sephiroth now made his move; he swung for Cloud's neck like an executioner. Cloud quickly held up his sword to block, the clang of metal vibrating throughout the whole cavern. 

"You should get your two girls to help you" Sephiroth muttered as he pushed the sword more towards Cloud's neck. Cloud grunted; his block was awkward and he was using all of his strength to hold it. 

"You always like picking on girls?" Cloud forced out as he got to his feet. He could almost feel the cold steel against his neck. 

"Well, instead of just fighting one, I can fight three little girls...make it even!" Sephiroth hissed as he pulled back suddenly and quickly swung for Cloud's neck again. Cloud quickly adjusted his stance and blocked the blow, then returned a swing of his own. Sephiroth blocked it then attacked again, as they two began to trade blows, in an effort to see who could be-head who first. 

"Come on Cloud...!" Tifa screamed out from back; her hands balled up into fists at her sides. Aeris clenched her hands in front of herself. She felt her pounding heart on her hands. It felt like it could fly out of her body at any moment. 

"Please...come on Cloud...!" Aeris forced out. Both of them watched as the Ultima Weapon and the Masamune each attacked one another, seeing if the other one was breakable. But with each blow, they seemed to strengthen and not weaken. Suddenly, the whole cavern began to shake. Rocks and boulders began to shift and shake as the mountain was hit but a large force of energy. All of them lost their footing. As Sephiroth stumbled backwards, Cloud seized the moment and rushed forward, again ramming his shoulder into Sephiroth's chest, causing his enemy to fall back into a cavern wall. Cloud's eyes glazed over in rage when he saw Sephiroth, laying against the rocks helplessly. He screamed out in anger ran forward and began to slash his sword madly at his rival, who held up his sword to block. It did not matter, Cloud was swinging blindly and hitting anything in his path. 

"I'm going to kill you for all you've ever done! You killed my town! You killed my mother! You killed my friend! You killed my dreams!" Cloud screamed as he kept swinging downward at Sephiroth, barely even hitting the sword. Most of his blows were hitting the wall near his target. 

"Focus Cloud!" Tifa screamed out while she got to her feet from the rumbling. 

"Don't let anger blind you!" Aeris called out; her hands clenching together so hard that a few cuts on her hands busted open and let loose small streams of blood. Suddenly, Cloud stopped swinging. Aeris' eyes went wide while Tifa quickly re-made her fists. Both watched Cloud take a few steps backwards. Then, both saw the blood red that was mixing with his shirt. 

"No!" Both screamed at once. Sephiroth stood up and glared down at the wounded prey. Blood had stopped dripping from his lips, but when his sneer returned again, his teeth now showed their blood-stained new color. Cloud weakly held his sword up, his body shaking. 

"You could have killed me if you had a smudge of talent. However, you lack even that much. You should be honored to be killed at my hands" Sephiroth hissed. He held his sword up high, much like an ancient executor. Suddenly Cloud pushed off the ground and slammed his shoulder into Sephiroth's stomach once again. Sephiroth stumbled a moment but then regained his position. Cloud breathed heavily as he slid down Sephiroth's body. Sephiroth helped him go faster by elbowing him right in the top of the head, knocking Cloud face-first into the dirt. 

"I am tired of that move!" Sephiroth then kicked Cloud off of him, causing Cloud to roll over and look upwards. Sephiroth leveled the sword on Cloud's neck, then lifted it high into the air. 

"It's over Cloud" Sephiroth remarked. Suddenly, something caught his attention from his side. Turning his head slightly, his face had a meeting with a fist. 

"Never!" Tifa screamed. Sephiroth stumbled back into the wall. Tifa ran at him, running up his chest, kicked him in the face, then jumped backwards, landing flat on her feet. Aeris fell to her knees near Cloud, quickly putting her hands over his chest. Sephiroth wiped both the fresh and dried blood from his mouth. 

"You bitch!" Sephiroth screamed, running at her. He swung at her, but each time Tifa jumped back, dodging each blow. Then her back hit a cave wall. Sephiroth's eyes flashed with joy as he ran and swung at her as hard as he could. Tifa fell to her knees and head-butted his groan. Sephiroth let one hand of his sword as he gasped in pain. Tifa stood up and smiled. 

"I'm shocked. I could have sworn you weren't a man. I guess I was wrong" Tifa balled her fists back up and waited for him. Sephiroth stood up, then suddenly threw his sword at her. The sword slammed into Tifa's right leg, bouncing off her knee. At once Tifa fell onto her other knee, grabbing the damaged one. Tears rushed to her eyes as blood began to pour out of her leg. Tifa stood up and tried to take a step forward, but her right leg buckled and she fell down. She looked over as she heard his footsteps next to her. She watched a hand wrap around the sword, then followed the sword blade up until she saw Sephiroth glaring down at her. 

"You will never do that again!" Sephiroth held the sword up high. He then turned around and swung his sword downward. Aeris blinked as the once giant rock she held turned into two large rocks. The rocks hit the ground as Aeris back-tracked a few steps, Sephiroth menacingly advancing towards her. 

"Damn you Cetra...you sneaky gutless-" Sephiroth began. Cloud ran up beside Aeris and swung his sword weakly at him. Sephiroth calmly ducked down then punched Cloud in the gut. Blood flew from Cloud's mouth when he his back meet the ground. Aeris quickly scurried over to Tifa and grabbed her leg. Cloud dropped his sword and stood up, punching wildly at Sephiroth a few times. Each time his fist hit nothing but air. Finally, Cloud landed a blow to Sephiroth's chest. Cloud looked up at Sephiroth's face. 

"What the hell was that suppose to do" Sephiroth smashed the back of his hand into Cloud's face, knocking him back down. As Cloud tried to stand up Sephiroth kicked him in the stomach, causing even more blood to come out up through his body. Aeris tried to help Tifa stand, but even healed Tifa could barely stand. As Sephiroth turned around, Aeris pushed Tifa down then ran away from her. She faced Sephiroth and clenched her hands. Sweat rolled down her face. 

"Hey! Come on! Kill me you coward!" Aeris screamed out. Tifa rolled over and looked at Aeris. She grabbed at the wall, using it to get to her feet. 

"Aeris...no..." Tifa whispered as she forced herself to stand up. Sephiroth slowly marched towards Aeris. His eyes locked onto her. 

"Cetra, you have been a thorn in my side for to long. Even when I kill you, you haunt me" Sephiroth spat out. Aeris trembled; her feet were shaking with a desire to move. But her heart would not let her. 

"Come on...! You seem to enjoy killing me" Aeris forced out. Cloud's fingers wrapped around Ultima Weapon. He used the sword to push himself up, glaring at Sephiroth. Then he saw Aeris standing there. Cloud went to scream, but instead of words, blood came out of his mouth. 

"Oh, you worthless little Cetra. You will die, here and now. I will wash my hands on your blood. I do enjoy killing you. It's a shame I only get to do it twice. I'd thank the boy, but I doubt I'll see him again" Sephiroth cracked his neck as he walked closer and closer. Aeris took a depth breathe; her heart going so fast that if it flew out of her chest it would go through a block of cement. 

"You...you are such a jerk! He's your son!" Aeris screamed. Tifa slumped down the wall. She had to force herself to keep her eyes open. Cloud nearly fell down. Instead, he fell to one knee. His glanced over at them; his eyes filling up with fire. 

"He is my son by genetics! I never wanted a son. I do not want a son! Once I blow up this planet, I will not have a son!" Sephiroth screamed. Aeris fell onto her butt as she glared up at him. 

"You are afraid-" 

"I fear nothing!" 

"You are lying! I can see it in your eyes! You got lucky...if Cloud had landed one blow you'd be dead! And if you hadn't thrown your sword, like a child, Tifa would still be kicking your butt!" Aeris was trembling. She closed her eyes tightly. 

"It never occurred to you that I was playing them for fools? It is so fun to kill a dream" Sephiroth replied. Aeris' eyes flung open. Her hands slowly transformed into fists. 

"What you gonna do Sephiroth? I know you don't have the Black materia! You said the planet was going to die-" Aeris began. Sephiroth moved the sword up high into the air above her. 

"You've proven that an attack from outside the planet will not work...thus I will attack from within" Sephiroth quickly glanced back at the bag of materia. 

"No..you don't mean-!" Aeris began again, but stopped when she looked into Sephiroth's eyes. They gave her the answer. Sephiroth's sneer once again filled his face. 

"You will now die Cetra. All of your allies will then die. Then I will kill the planet and become a god! No one can stop me!" Sephiroth began to laugh. Suddenly, the laughing stopped and was replaced by a groan. Aeris' eyes flung open. She looked up and watched Sephiroth falling backwards, small traces of silver sparks covering his face. 

"I told you to never harm her again!" Phoenix screamed as he came running down the cavern path. He jumped over Aeris and slammed his staff into his father's face. One more time, blood flew from Sephiroth's face. The boy jumped at Sephiroth again, but this time Sephiroth swung his sword upward, ripping into the boy's chest. The boy went flying over his father's head and skidded along the ground, leaving a slight trail of blood. 

"You ungrateful brat! I told you to stop them, and you failed. You are a failure; one huge failure!" Sephiroth screamed. Phoenix flinched, his eyes twitching. His staff was shaking wildly in his hand. 

"Don't listen to him! He's just saying that! Who cares what he thinks? I don't think your a failure!" Aeris screamed. Phoenix's eyes stopped twitching as he moved his arms down to his sides. Sephiroth sneered at the boy. 

"Kill her boy. Prove you are my son. If you end her life I will spare yours" Sephiroth commanded. Phoenix's eyes filled with anger suddenly. 

"Father-" He began, but Sephiroth just laughed. He waved his hand. 

"You do not need to ask-" Sephiroth interrupted. 

"I will stop you" Phoenix finished. Sephiroth stopped laughed instantly. The echoes even seemed to stop. His head reared back. Cloud got to his feet, his eyes now glued on Sephiroth. Sephiroth took a deep breathe. 

"What did you say boy?" Sephiroth forced out. Tifa pushed away from the wall and crouched down into her fighting stance. Her fists squeezed tightly together. Phoenix slammed his wrists together in front of his body, silver energy glowing around his wrists. His eyes narrowed; his eyes locked on Sephiroth. 

"You are joking boy. You cannot not...you will not kill me. You do not have the guts...I am your father, after all" Sephiroth said. He sneered at the boy. Phoenix's eyes did not waver. 

"I told you not to hurt her" Phoenix stated. His jaw tightened as he gathered even more silver energy around his hands. Sephiroth's eyes bugged out. 

"Damn you boy; you will now die with her then!" Sephiroth screamed. Suddenly footsteps entered into his ears. He turned to his left and was meet by a punch to the face. Tifa keep slugging him in the face. 

"You're not going to kill anymore dreams!" Tifa screamed as she ran up his chest, kicking him in the face. Sephiroth bent forward from the impact as Tifa's boots smacked into the ground. She quickly followed up with an uppercut then knocked Sephiroth off his feet. The Masamune bounced off the ground a few seconds before his body did. Sephiroth groaned as he got to his feet. Tifa stood there, her arm pulled back, energy gathering in her fist. Sephiroth then heard footsteps coming from the other side. He turned around and this time was meet but a sword blade to the chest. Slash after slash hit his body as Cloud swung like a mad-man at him. Sephiroth stumbled in place as blood oozed off of him. Cloud jumped into the air, his sword glowing like a lightning bolt. 

"You're path of terror ends here!...Omni-" Cloud began. Tifa's energy glowed brightly in the dark cave. The light covered her anger-covered face. 

"Final-" Tifa began. Even more light was gathering around Phoenix's hands, so much so that his wrists were not even seen. 

"Final-" Phoenix began. Cloud began his downward descent. 

"Slash!" Cloud flung his sword downward. 

"Heaven!" Tifa finished, throwing her charged up fist forward. 

"Flash!" Phoenix finished, the huge silver beam flying from his hands. All three attacks smashed into Sephiroth at once. The energy merged all into one huge block of energy. Then they all exploded; the core of the explosion being Sephiroth. All of them were flung backwards, the light so bright than no one could see anything. 

* * *

"Did you feel that?" Red asked, looking up at Barret. Barret blinked. 

"Feel what?" Barret demanded to know. Before Red could answer, the whole mountain began to shake. They quickly turned and ran down the hill of rocks. They reached the bottom and turned back at the mountain. 

"What the hell was that? An earthquake?" Barret questioned. Red blinked then shook his head. 

"No; more like an explosion...oh no!" Red sprinted back to the mountain side and up the rocks. He quickly began to throws them off. Barret made a face then his eyes went wide. 

"That boy...damn!" Barret screamed. He ran up to the rocks and began to throw them aside himself. 

* * *

"Oh man..." Aeris groaned. She knocked a few small rocks off as she stood up. The cavern seemed even darker than before, except a faint green light in the distance. She took a few steps, looking around. 

"My goodness, this whole place looks like a tornado hit it" Aeris muttered. Then, her foot hit something. Looking down, she say the handle of the Masamune sticking out from some rocks. She kicked the blade aside then took a few more steps forward. Her foot hit something else. She casually looked down. Her face was covered with a mixture of relief and satisfaction. 

"No more damage can be done by you" She remarked. Then, off to her left she heard groaning. She turned and ran over. Tifa lay there, face down. Aeris rolled her over and gasped. 

"Tifa...!" Aeris said. Her clothing was tattered but still holding on. Her face had slight burn marks on it. A trace of blood was on her lips. Aeris closed her eyes. She stood up and walked back towards Sephiroth's body. Walking right past it, she looked down at Cloud. Her eyes teared up slightly; his shirt was gone and his entire chest was covered in burn marks. Aeris bent down and gently rubbed his chest. She felt him breathing still. She got up and looked to where the boy had been. She then jogged over. He was laying face-down with his arms covering his face. His clothing looked tattered as well. Aeris took a few steps back, then cupped her hands together in front of her. She closed her eyes as green energy began to gather around her. 

"Great Gospel!" She suddenly screamed as the green waves flung off her and onto the others. She opened her eyes. She heard Tifa coughing, followed by Cloud gasping for more breathe. She watched Phoenix put his hands on the ground before turning and running over to Tifa. Before Aeris could reach her, Tifa was on her feet, knocking dust off herself. All her wounds seemed to be gone; her face once again burn-free. Aeris stopped a few steps in front of her. Tifa looked into Aeris' eyes and smiled. 

"He's...?" Tifa asked hopefully. Aeris smiled and nodded. Tifa's eyes went wide as she raced to Aeris, hugging her tightly. Aeris returned the hug, then they pulled apart, still holding hands. 

"We did it! We did it!" Both of them chanted as they danced around. Cloud pushed himself up to his feet then shook his head, sending dust into the air. 

"We did what?" Cloud asked, looking at the both of them. Tifa and Aeris looked at each other, then let go and went running to Cloud. Each girl latched onto a side tightly. Cloud blinked, then smiled. 

"We did it?" He asked loudly. Both of them looked up. 

"We did it!" They both screamed. The girls let go of Cloud, who looked down at them. 

"I don't believe it..." Cloud began. Suddenly, the entire cavern began to shake. Aeris fell backwards and rolled over onto her face. Tifa grabbed onto Cloud and they fell backwards on top of each other. Aeris rolled over and looked up in horror. 

"Oh no!" She screamed out. Huge boulders were flying downwards; almost as if the cavern was falling inward. Tifa shrieked loudly when she saw a huge boulder falling towards her and Cloud.She put her hands up as if they could block the boulders. Cloud just stared upwards. 

"Not like this..." He mumbled. Suddenly, when the boulder was mere feet away, a giant silver ball of energy came from no where and smashed into it, cracking the boulder into dozens of harmless rocks. Cloud and Tifa both shielded their faces. Aeris' body shook uncontrollable as the boulder neared her. From no where, she felt herself grabbed and being thrown around. The next thing she knew, the boy was letting her go and turning around. The huge boulder was laying where Aeris had been just moments ago. They boy stood up and extended his hand down to her. Aeris grabbed it and let him pull her to her feet. She gazed onto him. 

"Thank...thank you" Aeris forced out. The boy nodded and began to walk towards Sephiroth's body. Tifa opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. 

"Did...did I just see that?" Tifa asked. Cloud shook his head, then quickly rolled over and got to his feet. He helped Tifa up then turned to Phoenix. 

"You just saved our lifes" Cloud stated. The boy kneeled down and glared at Sephiroth's body. He bent down and picked the body up, throwing it over his shoulder. The others watched as the boy walk past them and towards the green light. When he reached the cliff, the boy dropped the body and watched it fall down into the Lifestream below. 

"I am aware" Phoenix answered finally. He turned around again and walked back towards them. Tifa glared at him. 

"Why? You had no reason-" Tifa began. Phoenix glared over at her as he walked. 

"I have my reasons" He replied coldly. He stopped when he neared the bag of materia. As he bent down to pick it up, Aeris' hand grabbed his own hand. 

"Thank you Phoenix..." Aeris stated. He looked up at her. 

"Thank you Aeris" He replied. He grabbed the bag of materia and flung it over his shoulder. Aeris leaned up as he did, looking at him. 

"You listened to me" Aeris stated calmly. Phoenix glanced down at the ground. His face shook a little. 

"You were right" He simple stated. She sighed softly. Phoenix walked past her and back the way they had all come down. Aeris turned and followed. Cloud watched them both walk along as Tifa walked over to the Masamune and bent down to look at it. 

"Where you going...? Phoenix...why were you so nice to me? You had no reason..." Aeris asked nervously. The boy marched along a few steps as if he didn't hear it. Suddenly, Cloud's eyes went wide. 

"He's your brother!" Cloud screamed suddenly. Everyone stopped what they were doing. Tifa looked up at Cloud as if he had farted in church. Both Phoenix and Aeris stiffened. Then slowly both of their heads turned slightly to look at Cloud. 

"How...how..." Phoenix mumbled, his eyes wide in shock. Aeris' head spun around and looked at the boy again. Cloud shrugged his shoulders and smirked. 

"You two look alike...they way you walk, your facial expressions...you two even look alike from the back. You dress the same too" Cloud stated. Phoenix's eyes turned their attention from Cloud to Aeris. Aeris clenched her hands over her heart. 

"That's...that's...you were nice to me because I'm your sister..." Aeris forced out as sweat began to build on her face. Phoenix nodded his head, then he looked back at Cloud. 

"How did you know...I mean...it can't be that obvious" The boy asked. Cloud's face softened slightly. 

"You saved her life...you had this look in your eye when you saved her. The look that she mattered a lot to you...more than Sephiroth did. But when I saw you two together...it was crystal clear" Cloud stated. Tifa stood up and looked at Aeris, then Phoenix, then Cloud. 

"You're right...it's not obvious at first, but when they're together...wow" Tifa chimed in. She did not even realize her hand holding the Masamune. Phoenix nodded. 

"The Nifix Device only allows the user to bring back someone with the same DNA type" Phoenix explained. Cloud nodded while Tifa just shook her head. Aeris felt a tear drip down her face. 

"That's..that's why you protected me from him...but why didn't you tell me?" Aeris asked. Phoenix gazed at her for a few moments. Suddenly, the cave began to shake again. 

"Damnit...the cave is falling apart!" Cloud screamed. Suddenly, the ground seemed to tilt upwards. 

* * *

"Damnit! We are wasting time!" Barret screamed. Red glanced around at all the rocks. 

"I agree, but do you have a way we can move them faster?" Red asked. Barret grinned and shook his gun-arm. Red quickly ran off the rocks. Barret leveled the gun towards the cave and opened fire, sending bullets into the rocks. Red watched as the rocks began to break apart. 

"This will take time!" Red screamed over the hum of the bullets. Barret's grin grew even wider. 

"Not as much as the way we were doing it!" He replied. The smoke from the gun covered his grinning face while boulders became rocks, and rocks became dust. 

* * *

"Let's get out of her" Tifa screamed as she ran towards the cave entrance. Cloud followed behind her, with Aeris close behind him. Phoenix turned and began to run, but suddenly the bag of materia got snagged onto a rock. As Phoenix ran, the bag ripped open, sending materia onto the ground and rolling towards the edge of the cave. His eyes went wide as the materia began to fall into the Lifestream. 

"No!" He screamed as he dove onto the ground, trying to grab any materia he could. Aeris heard his screamed and turned around. 

"No!" She echoed, her eyes going wide in terror. Cloud stopped and grabbed her wrist. 

"We got to go Aeris! This whole place is going to collapse!" Cloud screamed, tugging her towards the mouth of the cave. Aeris fought against his hand. 

"But the materia...! It's going into the Lifestream...!" Aeris screamed. Cloud yanked her arm. 

"So what?" Cloud screamed, pulling her harder towards the exit. Phoenix crawled to the edge of the cliff and watched the materia plummeting. 

"No...no...no!" Phoenix screamed. The Lifestream began to bubble up with each added materia. Phoenix stood up and turned around, running towards the cave entrance. 

* * *

"See, I told you it would work!" Barret screamed as he had finally gotten a good bit of the rocks out of the way. Red nodded. 

"Now let's get in there-" Red began. Just then, Tifa forced her way through the small hole in the rock wall. 

"Tifa...what's happening?" Barret asked. Tifa looked at them; the Masamune still in her hand. Before she could react, Red did. 

"You defeated him?" Red asked quickly. Tifa nodded. 

"Guys, you wouldn't believe what happened-" Tifa began as Cloud pulled Aeris through the hole. 

"We gotta run..! Now!" Aeris screamed, interrupting what Tifa was about to say. Barret and Red's eyes shot open. 

"Aeris!" They both screamed. Aeris nodded impatiently. 

"Let's go, now! All the materia fell in the Lifestream...it's going to blow!" Aeris screamed. With that they all turned and ran up the hill as fast as they could. After a few minutes, a ball of silver energy smashed into the rock wall, making the small hole a little bit bigger. Phoenix came running out of the hole and raced for the hill. As the boy reached the top of the hill he saw the Highwind taking flight. He glanced upwards at it as it flew towards him. 

"I got to get out of here...anyway is a good way" He screamed as he jumped up with all his might and grabbed onto the ladder that was dangling from it. His body jerked from the motion as he held on. The Highwind made a huge turn and flew over the ocean. Phoenix slowly began to climb up the ladder. As he neared the top, he heard a gun lock in place. He stopped walking, his body freezing. 

"I'm going to blow your brain out you son of-" Barret began. Cloud grabbed Barret's arm and pushed it aside, sending bullet flying down into the water. Barret stopped firing and glared over at Cloud, who ignored him. Cloud bent down and extended his arm towards the boy. Phoenix grabbed his arm as he neared and Cloud pulled him up onto the deck. 

"What the hell is your problem Spikey?" Barret roared. Cloud glared up at Barret. He stood up and pushed his chest against Barret's. 

"He saved our lives in there Barret! I don't care what you think or what anyone thinks, but I know I owed him one!" Cloud snapped. Barret blinked and grumbled. Slowly, he turned and walked away from the two of them. Phoenix watched him leave before turning his attention to Cloud. 

"We haven't finished our fight" Phoenix muttered. He rolled onto his belly, then pushed up to his feet. He knocked some dust off jacket. Cloud took a deep breathe while a slight grin grew on his face. 

"I'm aware of that too. But now is not the time-" Cloud began. Suddenly, the mountain exploded upwards. Green energy went flying upwards into the air as rocks and boulders flew outwards. Cloud covered his face while Phoenix turned away, the bright green light shooting out to all sides. The shock wave from the explosion slammed into the Highwind, knocking it all around. Cloud fell onto his backside while Phoenix ducked down to be on one knee. 

"This...this is what Sephiroth planned?" Cloud asked. Phoenix nodded as he held his arm up to block the intense wind. 

"I believe so...I'm not sure why though" Phoenix screamed. Both of them moved their arms slightly and took a look at the former mountain. The door to the Highwind opened as Tifa stood in the doorway. 

"Cloud...what is going on out here?" Tifa screamed loudly. Cloud looked over at her, then at Phoenix, then once again to Tifa. 

"I have no clue! It's not natural, that's for sure" Cloud screamed. Phoenix got to his feet. He stared at the mountain-side, the wind blowing his coat backwards. 

"What have I done...?" He muttered. His eyes glossed over, just staring at the mountain, which was morphing into a volcano, spewing Lifestream into the air. 

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

* * *

"Aeris...this is a dream!" Red murmured. Aeris put her hands behind her back and shook her head slowly. 

"I don't think so. It's very real...trust me, I felt like I was dreaming" Aeris responded quietly. The door to the cockpit flung open. Aeris and Red turned their heads that way as Cid came running into the room. His jaw dropped when he saw Aeris. He skidded to a stop which sent the cigarette from his mouth into the air like a missile. Aeris tilted her head and looked at Cid. His jaw shook as if he was trying to speak, but no words came out. Aeris just nodded her head. 

"Yes, this is real" Aeris stated, her voice steady. Cid just shook his head, his jaw dangling there. Crossing her arms over her belly, Tifa laughed at him. 

"I haven't seen Cid run that fast, ever!" Tifa claimed. Cid finally shook his head rapidly. When he stopped, his jaw was back in its proper place. 

"Wow...this is so...damn, this is incredible!" Cid screamed, slapping his hand onto his pants leg. Suddenly, the door swung open to the open deck up top. Barret came stomping down the stops. 

"God-damn Spikey! He is so damn stubborn!" Barret bellowed. He stood on the walkway above them. Everyone looked at each other until Tifa finally threw her arms down and climbed the stairs to meet him. 

"What's going on Barret? What Cloud do now?" Tifa asked impatiently. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Barret. Out of no where, a huge shock wave shook the ship. The entire ship rocked from the impact, everything from people to pencils being thrown into a state of confusion. Tifa grabbed the railing tightly and sprinted up the stairs. Barret watched her run, then nearly fell down the stairs from the impact. He grabbed the rail with all his might with his hand. He hooked his gun arm under the railing to act like a brace. 

"What the hell is going on?" Barret roared. Cid fell onto his backside, then quickly got to his feet. 

"We're getting out of here!" He screamed as he stumbled back into the cockpit. Tifa jumped past Barret and watched Cid leave the room. Her mouth was hanging open. 

"You...guys...need...see....this!" Tifa gasped. Aeris gasped suddenly and fell to her knees, her body shaking wildly. Red, not seeing Aeris, ran over near the staircase and looked up at Tifa. 

"What's happening? Something hit us?" Red questioned sharply. The ship kept rocking around, much like the last apple on a tree. With her hair flapping all around her, Tifa shook her head. 

"No...you really need to see this!" Tifa sounded out of breathe. Barret eyed Tifa wearily then strode past her outside. As the door was about to slam shut, Tifa grabbed it and went back outside. Aeris' whole body just trembled, her eyes glazed over. Red looked to his left, where Aeris had been, but he did not see her. Looking behind him, he saw her kneeling on the ground, her face looking like she was in some sort of trance. 

"Come on Aeris, snap...what's going on?" Red called to her. Aeris just kept staring into nothingness. Red was back be her side within a moment. He nuzzled her side gently. 

"Aeris! Aeris!" Red screamed with each nuzzle. Out of no where, the fog seemed to be lifted from Aeris' face. Looking down at Red, Aeris took a shaky breathe. 

"The planet...it just screamed...like a death scream. The planet is in serious danger" Aeris stated. 

"We better warn the others!" Red exclaimed, turning and blazing up the stairs. Aeris shook her head, then stood up. Taking a deep breathe, she sprinted up the stairs herself. As she flung the door open to the outside, she was blinded by a bright green light. Aeris squinted for a moment to adjust to the new source of light. 

"What happened in that cavern?" Red ducked his head down, trying to not look directly into any light. The light seemed to dim down, making it easier for all of them to see what was happening. The mountain was completely gone. It had been torn down by the large geyser of Lifestream that now occupied its space. The entire area was masked in a green glow. 

"What's going on?" Tifa screamed. Even though the Highwind was flying away from it, the geyser never seemed to get smaller. 

"Sephiroth...all that materia caused an eruption in the Lifestream..." Aeris answered just as the thought entered her own head. Tifa's eyes widened more when she saw balls of Lifestream start to splash down into the water. 

"That makes no sense! Materia is just Lifestream-" Tifa began. 

"Not exactly" Phoenix interrupted. He was sitting on the railing at the end of the ship, looking out at the explosion. His face did not move an inch when he spoke. Red quickly faced the boy and dropped down into a fighting stance. Even with all the green light around, the bright red of his tail was clear. 

"You are a fool to think you could kill us-" Red began. Now Phoenix' neck spun his face over to glare at them. 

"If that was my goal, you'd be dead already" Phoenix snapped. Cloud looked over his shoulder Phoenix before he turned his attention to Red. 

"Very comforting there Phoenix. He's not looking for trouble now Red, trust me" Cloud remarked. Red kept down in his fighting stance even though his fur-covered head looked back towards the explosion. Tifa stomped her foot and looked all around. 

"No one has answered me yet!" Tifa screamed. Aeris slowly put her hands over heart, taking shaky breathes. Phoenix rolled his eyes and went back to looking at the explosion. 

"Materia is a concentrated form of Lifestream. Once you activate it, it's more potent than normal Lifestream. However, once you put it back in the Lifestream, it chemically wants to be in that form again. And thus, it melts, giving off energy" Phoenix explained. Tifa looked around at the others. 

"Can anyone make sense of that please?" Tifa stomped her foot again. Aeris nodded as she pulled her hands closer to her heart. 

"Well, you know how ice melts when you put it in water? Think like that" Aeris stated. Tifa closed her eyes and nodded. 

"Sure, but that don't explain that!" Tifa screamed, her eyes popping open, as she pointed towards the Lifestream. Phoenix gripped the railing with his left hand. Aeris took a deep breathe as a tear formed in her eye. 

"No..but...well, think of it this way. What happens when you eat to much? You have to well...throw it up. This is the planet throwing up all the materia that was just stuffed into it at once" Aeris explained. 

"But...this will die down, right Aeris?" Red asked hopefully. The wind was blowing his fur all about. Aeris put her hands on her chest as the tear streaked down her face. 

"Red...that is not a small rip anymore. It's a huge rip...and it's getting bigger now. Sephiroth said he was going to do the opposite of Meteor..." Aeris began. Her eyes fluttered. The words refused to exit her mouth. Phoenix clenched the railing with his other hand now. 

"He's not going to attack the planet from the outside. He's going to let it explode" Phoenix remarked. Barret turned his attention from the explosion. The dark skin reflected the green light poorly. He quickly held up his gun-arm, which reflected the green much better. 

"This is all your damn fault! You brought that asshole back! You helped him do this!" Barret screamed. Phoenix's body trembled slightly. His face remained set on the explosion of Lifestream. 

"Now is not the time-" Phoenix began. Barret moved his aim off the boy slightly and fired a shot, just missing him. Everyone now turned and faced Barret, except the boy. His face was still set on the explosions; each explosion sending more green Lifestream into the air. 

"We're all going to die because of you! But I tell you this much; my last act is going to be ending your existence myself!" Barret screamed. The aim of the Missing Score fell directly on Phoenix's green eye. Barret held his arm steady; never letting it waver off the target. Another huge explosion took place, sending a huge gust of wind into the Highwind. 

"You will never get the shot off" Phoenix's body remained the same, but his eyesight shifted from the explosion to the gun that was aimed at him. 

"That's enough. He's right Barret; now is not the time!" Cloud screamed; his body coming between the gun's site and the face it was aimed at. Yet another huge explosion occurred; Cloud's spikey hair blew in the breeze. 

"Move it spikey...!" Barret hissed. As Aeris flicked a tear from her face, she noticed a white glow on her own face. Cloud crossed his arms and narrowed his bright blue eyes. 

"Not now Barret!" Cloud repeated. Barret's aim did not waver despite yet another explosion, which rocked the ship even more. Phoenix's eyes moved from Barret to Cloud curiously. 

"I'm going to start shooting Spikey! Either move-" Barret began. 

"Not now Barret!" Tifa screamed, grabbing his arm and pulling it away from his aim. Barret pulled his arm back quickly and held the aim on Cloud. But the aim was only on Cloud for a moment more. Tifa stood in front of Cloud now. 

"You all are nuts! This is his fault! He should die!" Barret roared. His arm was now shaking; he no longer even saw his intended target. All he saw was Cloud's spikey hair and Tifa's brown eyes. He held his gun-arm tightly, hoping to keep his aim straight. 

"Then try to kill me" Phoenix's voice carried over the sound of another explosion. The sound of his voice made Barret's ears ring more than any explosion could. Barret leveled his aim straight again. Aeris quietly knelt down and put her hands together. Red ran up now, glaring up at Barret. His tail smacked into Barret's leg gently. 

"Barret! Killing him is not worth killing Tifa and Cloud over!" Red screamed. Barret body began to shake again. 

"Tifa...Cloud...move!" Barret bellowed, his voice catching at the end. Phoenix turned his body towards Barret finally. Another huge explosion occurred, this one sending Phoenix's jacket into the air due to the gust of wind. The gust knocked Tifa's hair around and blew right through Red's fur. 

"We all make mistakes" Phoenix's voice echoed into all of their ears. Cloud and Tifa both glanced back at him. Barret lowered his gun-arm for a moment, but then held it back up again. Tifa took a step forwards Barret. 

"The planet may be dying...! Barret, this...this...I do not wanna end my life this way!" Tifa screamed loudly. 

"Then move!" Barret roared. 

"People-" Red began. He turned out his view out onto the explosion. 

"Move!" Barret screamed again, cutting Red off. Red stared breathlessly out at the explosions. Suddenly, the green glow they all had grown accustomed too seemed to be fading. One by one, they all looked over at the location of the explosion. The anger that had been raging in Barret seemed to dip out of him. 

"Look at that..." Barret murmured softly. He lowered his arm and looked outward. His body began to tremble again, but this time is not from anger. 

"What's going on?" Phoenix questioned loudly. His mismatched eyes reflected the white light nicely. His brow lowered in a look of confusion. 

"It's...it's..." Tifa began, her tone going from harsh to soft as she watched the white swirls dancing around the explosion. Cloud felt a smile growing on his face. 

"It's Holy" Cloud muttered. His words bounced into everyone's skulls, rattling their brains. Before anyone else could say anything, the white swirls that had been surrounding the explosion of Lifestream began to move inward. The white strands of Holy began to tie together around the huge volcano. A huge white doom formed over the explosion, containing it within the dome. The dome began to contract in size, shrinking around the explosion. The Lifestream fought to escape, ramming into the dome, but Holy held strong. The whites of the dome swirled around as it collapsed inward on the volcano. Then, suddenly, a bright blinding white light flashed into the sky. Everyone tried to cover their eyes, but they moved too late; they all had been blinded temporarily by the light. After a few blinks and moments, everyone's eye sight came back to them. They all looked out at where the explosion had taken place. The former mountain was now a flat plain of land. Giant rocks littered the plains, looking like spikes on a hedgehog. 

"What happened?" Phoenix screamed with disbelief. 

"It was Holy" Aeris spoke softly. Phoenix's body spun like a top as he looked at her. 

"Yes...and?" Phoenix demanded to know. His eyes were wide, refusing to blink. Aeris smiled at him. 

"I'll tell you some day" Aeris remarked. 

* * *

The end...! 

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, this is the first thing I ever posted on Fanfiction.net and I wanna thank the many people who read it. And especially thanks to the people who wrote reviews. You guys rock and if anyone wants to be a beta-reader, I'd love the help. First off, a major thank to CT for being my editor and for letting me be a pain in the ass while I wrote this story. Also, big props to Cherry Kari for being my beta-reader. She offered in-sight CT and myself missed. Mostly cause we're ego-manicis. Just kidding, only CT is. No, kidding again, just me. So I better explain how the hell I came up with this twisted tale. And here it is: 

Misguided Beliefs To From The Ashes 

"How a 25,000 word story becomes a 70,000 word novel" 

We all deal with tragedy different. Some people cry a lot. Some people listen to music. Some people, sadly, turn to drinking and drugs. 

I turned to writing. I had so much energy to burn and I had to keep my mind working. So I wanted to write a Final Fantasy Fanfiction and make it good. And here I am, still technically working on it three years later. 

I titled my story "Misguided Beliefs" and went to work on it. I finished it in like, 2 months. That was pretty impressive, but that's all I would do. From the moment I got home from school until I went to bed, I would write my story. I stayed home on weekends to work on it. Really, I have never touched that work ethic since. It was finished and boy was I proud. But then I had to do the graduation thing, then the college thing, and the work thing, and my writing got pushed back. 

Over the summer, I began to work on my masterpiece (Not this). After awhile, I realized I was not quite ready to tell that story. I had enrolled to take some writing classes at my college and I was pumped. So one day, I opened Misguided Beliefs and decided to read it and edit it. I'd write the sequel for practice. Well, as I read, I noticed that it was just not what I wanted to say anymore. The original message was gone; really, writing it had been the message. The story was just not something I liked. 

But the plot was still great. So I decided to re-write the whole story. I told myself that day in August "It'll be about 35,000 words long I bet". And how wrong I was. And now, in May, it's finally finished. By the time I got done posting it on Fanfiction.net...it was August again. So it took one whole year. Once or twice, a month went by with me writing no more than three lines. And other times, I'd do a chapter in a week. I have no clue and it frustrated me at times. 

Still, re-writing the story was a lot of fun. Well, not fun, but it did help my writing skills. And really, I'm very proud of the message now. And that segues into... 

Differences Between Misguided Beliefs and From The Ashes: In Misguided Beliefs, the message was basically that no matter how evil you were along the way, if you do good in the end you'll be good. I mean, that's in basic terms. The story talks about a son being hurt his father don't accept him. From The Ashes wallops that point though. Sephiroth turns Phoenix down once in MB. In FTA, he constantly destroys the boy's ego. However, Phoenix thinks this is right, because he does not know better. Face it, children learn from their parents. Phoenix saw a bunch of other kids happy with their parents. He does not understand why Sephiroth is mad, but he reasons it is his fault. FTA also shows how when you are untrained to make decisions, you'll let someone else do it for you. Phoenix never does anything against someone's wishes until he helps kill Sephiroth. And even then, it took the threat of Aeris dying to make him decide. Both stories main focus is on Phoenix, but MB is nothing but Phoenix. If he wasn't in a scene, people were talking about him. In FTA, Phoenix's motives are always the main focus but a lot with Tifa-Cloud happens. Most of the early part of the story deals with them, their grief over Aeris, and their budding love. And even when they chase Phoenix, their relationship is fleshed out more. In that sense, I'm very proud to have two stories going on at once. Phoenix is a very evil person in MB, while in FTA he is just naive and ignorant. If you read MB, he basically goes around saying he is the devil until Sephiroth tells him to buzz off, then he becomes a good guy. In FTA, Phoenix never really does anything wrong. Sure, Kalm burns down but that's not totally his fault. He kills the four people he was told to kill; no one else. He is only following orders. Is he right to kill people? No, of course not. But we see that he is not making decisions; simply following orders. When he finally turns on his father, we actually root for him. Phoenix just shows up and wants to fight Sephiroth in MB. In FTA, Phoenix fights Sephiroth after Sephiroth tried to kill him. And then, once Sephiroth asks him to join him, Phoenix is all gung-ho and wants to be his son again. Again, it's way more dramatic in FTA when he decides to help destroy his father. He realizes he made a mistake. In MB, Phoenix openly acknowledges being Aeris' brother. In FTA, we don't find out until the end and even then it's cause Cloud got a lucky guess. Phoenix actually thinks Aeris is Sephiroth's daughter. If you re-read the Aeris/Phoenix conversation, you can see it a few times. Again, he's naive. He never has a chance to really say it. That is why he opens up to her more, though. In MB, Phoenix has a Magnum gun. In FTA, he has no gun. Really, he can shoot freaking balls of energy. He don't need a gun. In MB, the whole group gets together and sticks together like buddies, everyone fighting along side each other. In FTA, the group all shows up but really, only Cloud, Tifa, Cid, Red, Reeve, and Barret go after the boy. And even then, Barret is knocked out awhile and Reeve is no fighter. I did want all of them to make an appearance, though, and they all do make an appearance. In MB, Tifa is pretty worthless. She is one of the main characters in FTA.This was one of the biggest changes from the original, really. Tifa was not one of my favorites when I played the game nor when I wrote MB. However, due to re-playing the game and trying to get into her character, I realized how deep she was. If you notice, she is the only character whose thoughts I really give away. The story, if told from anyone's point of view, is told from Tifa's. Granted, in the later chapters the focus shifted off of her as much, but she still remains a vital cog. In MB, Phoenix is like superman; he basically knocks the crap out of all of them at will. In FTA, he is much more on their level. He would have beaten up Cid with ease and he knocks the crud out of Yuffie, but Cloud holds his own. And Red can keep up with him. So he's not a god anymore. In both MB and FTA, Phoenix and Vincent had a huge fight in Nibelheim. In MB, though, the fight happens before Phoenix brings Sephiroth and Aeris back. Phoenix wins it, but the others show up and he is forced to run. In FTA, naturally Sephiroth is back already and Phoenix barely wins. Also, in MB the fight takes place outside. In FTA, it takes place in the mansion. Sephiroth has a much larger role in FTA. In MB, he was in maybe three scenes. In FTA, he is in the whole second half. He seems to almost enjoy tormenting Phoenix in FTA. He is bent more on revenge this time though. Aeris just joined up with the rest of the group in MB. In FTA, naturally they don't even know she's alive for sure until they reach the cave. The final fight in MB is in Midgar; in FTA it's naturally in a cave in the south. Also, the ending is much more dramatic in FTA; in MB the final fight is the ending. Naturally, FTA has the whole LifeStream explosion. The Turks make an appearance in MB and basically make Phoenix look like a unbeatable god. In FTA, they never show up. The reason was I had no logical way for them to show up, and I felt it was better to keep them out then. 

Overall, I think From The Ashes is a much better story. Not just the length but the detail and craft I put into the story. Honestly, I think that some of the fight scenes are the best ever written for Final Fantasy VII. I hope I don't sound like I'm bragging there; it's just how I feel. Phoenix versus Cloud and Phoenix versus Vincent stand out in my mind as stuff I just loved writing. Of course, there is some fault with the story. Some people may say it's too long and I do too much character building. Perhaps, but I like it all. 

And really, if an author is happy with the work, that's all that should matter to him or her. 


End file.
